NOVITATES ZOOLOMCAE XXU. 1915. 421 



month at the 'Seycheles et iles adjacents,' which at that time were solelj' inhabited 

 by moustrons crocodiles and land and sea tortoises " ( Voyage d Madagascar et 

 aux Indes Orient ale li, 1791). 



In the public library at Caen is a large collection of manuscripts bequeathed 

 to his native town by General Decaen, who was the last French governor of 

 Mauritius. In Vol. 106, containing documents relating to the Se3'chelles, are 

 contained, inter alia, eight memoirs on this archipelago by Monsieur Malavois, 

 who carried out an" official inspection during the years 1786 and 1787. Among 

 these eight documents is one entitled " Description et notice sur I'Archipel des 

 Seychelles." le 1" Mai 1786, (Sign($) Malavois. 



This is of the highest interest, for the autlior describes each island in 

 detail, and enumerates its resources and what products can be drawn from it. 

 On several of the large number of islands the tortoises had already been 

 exterminated. After visiting each island of tlie archipelago our author severally 

 records the presence on the islands and islets either in large numbers or in greatly 

 rednced numbers of the tortoises, or else the total absence of these creatures. 

 Having first stated, " When the Seychelles Islands were first discovered, no other 

 quadrupeds were found except the still existing amphibians, namely the Land 

 and Sea Tortoises and the Caimans. On Seychelle Island (= Mahe) a few 

 non-poisonous or hardly dangerous snakes, some centipedes and scorpions are 

 found : green frogs and toads are very rare ; but bats of the large sort are very 

 abundant," — our author proceeds to give a detailed list of the islands, of which 

 the following had tortoises on them : — 



'' Oil He Saiute-Anne there are some 200 Land Tortoises, but 3000 could 

 well live there. Its shores are much frequented by Sea turtle. 



"lie Moyenne has a diameter of about 200 ' toises,' and absolutely no fresh 

 water. There are a very great number of Land Tortoises. 



"lie aux Cerfs is the most suitable island to serve as depot for all the tortoises 

 which could lie collected in the archipelago. 



"He Therese. On this island tortoises are no longer found. 



"He de la Conception. Formerly a prodigious number of tortoises were 

 found here, but now only a few still remain and these mostly small and thin. 



" He Silhouette. This island still holds a few Land Tortoises. 



" He du Nord. In spite of it having been burnt some years ago, Land 

 Tortoises are still found here, and those the finest in the archipelago. 



" He aux Becifs. Formerly the Land Tortoises were present on this island 

 in great numbers, but private vessels have carried them off, so that but few remain. 



" He aux Fregates. A few fine Land Tortoises are still shipped from here. 



"He Praslin. This island is covered with native cocoanut palms, which grow 

 at a great elevation above the low ground. This tree, besides on Praslin, is only 

 found on the islands of Curieuse, Saiute-Pierre, and Bonde. Land Tortoises were 

 formerly excessively common, until the crews of the trading vessels, which called 

 there for cargoes of these creatures, took to burning the scrub to find them. At 

 present only a very few still exist in certain little frequented parts of the interior. 



" He Aride. A few Land Tortoises still occur here. 



" ' He Felicite.' On the slopes of the high mountain. Land Tortoises are 

 found. 



" ' lies Soeurs.' These two islands are covered with dense scrub, in which a 

 few Laud Tortoises occur. 



