1 86 Journal of Travel and Natural History 



FAUNA OF MADAGASCAR* 



THIS is the first part of a work intended to consist of the natural 

 history of the mammals and birds collected by Messrs Pollen 

 and Van Dam during their travels in the island of Madagascar and 

 its dependencies. It is accompanied by figures of such species as 

 are either new to science or only imperfectly known ; and is to 

 be followed by what is much needed, viz., a critical review and 

 enumeration of all the mammals and birds indicated up to this time 

 as natives of the geographical province of Madagascar. 



It is printed in quarto, with fine paper and good type, and is to 

 appear in parts, each of which consists of forty-eight pages, and 

 contains ten beautifully-coloured plates ; and, a not unimportant 

 point for the naturalist to know before he subscribes to the work 

 is, that it is to be completed in four parts. 



The part now published contains the mammals and the birds of 

 prey actually met with by Messrs Pollen and Van Dam; and, 

 incidentally, a number of critical observations on the species gene- 

 rally are given, but not the enumeration of all those species. 



The mammals noticed are the Lemur Macaco, L. Mayotten- 

 sis (nov. sp.), Hapalemur griseus, Cheirogaleus furcifer, Lepilemur 

 mustelinus, Microcebus Coquereli, Cryptoprocta ferox, Viverra 

 Schlegeli, Pteropus Dupreanus; to which are added some notes 

 on species the authors had not seen, viz., Lichanotus brevicauda- 

 tus, Avahis laniger. Lemur varius, L. Catta, Cheiromys Mada- 

 gascariensis, Galidia elegans, and Galidia concolor, Centetes 

 ecaudatus, Pteropus Edwardsii, Taphazous leucopterus,Dysopes sp., 

 Sciurus Madagascariensis, Mus Indicus, M. musculus, M. rattus, 

 M. sylvaticus, Sus larvatus — a species of Delphinus — and the 

 Physeter macrocephalus. More or less information is given re- 

 garding the character and habits of all these, and it appears to be 

 carefully and judiciously collated. 



For some time past the conviction has been growing on zoolo- 

 gists, that the number of species of Lemurs is considerably over-esti- 

 mated, and that a good many of those standing on our lists will, on 



* Recherches sur laFaune dc Madagascar et do scs depcndanccs, d'apres les 

 decouvertes de M.M. Francois P. L. Pollen et D. C. Van Dam — Manimiftreset 

 Oiseaux par M. II. Schlegel et M. Francois P. L. Pollen : Leyde, 1867. Part I. 



