CHAP. XIX THE MADAGASCAR GROUP 435 



gascar, and this view is strongly supj)orted by the character 

 of their indigenous fauna. Of this, however, we have not 

 a very complete or accurate knowledge, for though both 

 islands have long been occupied by Europeans, the study 

 of their natural products was for a long time greatly 

 neglected, and owing to the rapid spread of sugar cultiva- 

 tion, the virgin forests, and with them no doubt many 

 native animals, have been almost wholly destroyed. There 

 is, however, no good evidence of there ever having been 

 any indigenous mammals or amphibia, though both are 

 now found and are often recorded among the native 

 animals.^ 



The smaller and more remote island, Rodriguez, is also 

 volcanic ; but it has, besides a good deal of coralline rock, 

 an indication of partial submergence helping to account 

 for the j^overty of its fauna and flora. It stands on a 100- 

 fathom bank of considerable extent, but beyond this the 



^ lu ]\Iciillartl's Notes sur VIslc dc lleiiniou, a cousiderable number of 

 mammalia are given as "wild," such as Lemur viongoz and Ccntelcs sctosus 

 Loth Madagascar species, with such undoubtedly introduced animals as a 

 wild cat, a hare, and several rats and mice. He also gives two species of 

 frogs, seven lizards, and two snakes. The latter are both Indian species 

 and certainl}^ imported, as are most probably the frogs. Legouat, who 

 resided some years in the island nearly two centuries ago, and who was 

 a closer observer of nature, mentions numerous birds, large bats, land- 

 tortoises, and lizards, but no other reptiles or venomous animals except 

 scorpions. AVe may be pretty sure, therefore, that the land-mammalia, 

 snakes, and frogs, now found wild, have all been introduced. Of lizards, 

 on the other hand, there are several species, some peculiar to the island, 

 others common to Africa and the other Mascarene Islands. The following 

 list by Prof. Dumeril is given in Maillard's work : — 



Platydactylus cepedianus. Hemidaclylusfrenatus. 



,, ocellatus. Gonrjylus hojirii. 



Hemidactylus pcronii. AMepharus peronii. 



,, mutilatus. 



Four species of chameleon are now recorded from Bourbon and one from 

 ]\Iauritius (J. Reay Greene, M.D., in Pop. Science Rex. April, 1880), but 

 as they are not mentioned by the old writers, it is pretty certain that these 

 creatures are recent introductions, and this is the more probable as they 

 are favourite domestic pets. 



Danvin informed me that in a work entitled Voyage a VIslc de France, 

 -par un Ojpcier cholloi, published in 1770, it is stated that a fresh-water fish 

 had been introduced from Batavia and had multiplied. The writer also 

 says (p. 170) : " Ona essay e, mais sans sticcts. d'y transporter dcs grcnouilles 

 qui mangent Ics ceicfs que les moustigues deposcnt sur les eaux stagnantcs." 

 It thus appears that there were then no frogs on the island. 



F F 2 



