1868.] 205 [Brown. 



Some Observations on the Fauna of Madeira. 

 By Francis H. Brown, M.D. 



We have in the Library of the Natural History Society but few- 

 references to the Fauna of Madeira and the islands lying in its neigh- 

 borhood; and until the present year, we have had no specimens 

 from the island in our cabinets. I therefore propose to give some of 

 the results of investigation by naturalists who have resided in, or 

 have visited the islands, as well as those lists which are at my com- 

 mand, of the animals in the various departments of Zoology. 



Perhaps no region distant from the usual route of tourists has been 

 60 thoroughly worked up as Madeira, for it has been for many years 

 the resort of invalids, especially from England, and many of these 

 being scientific men, have passed a part of the hours of their com- 

 pulsory tarry on the island in studying nature ; and though our own 

 library is destitute of works on the subject, very many have been 

 written on it, and can be found in the libraries of the Old World. 



The situation of the Island of Madeira renders the nature of its 

 fauna, as well as of its flora, somewhat an equivocal one. Being in 

 lat. 32° north of the Equator, it lies between the temperate and trop- 

 ical regions, and its animals are typical of both; those, in fact, of the 

 countries bordering on the Mediterranean basin, both of Europe and 

 Africa, and of the Canary Islands. Situated, moreover, at a distance 

 of nearly four hundred miles from the African coast, it possesses but 

 few species which are peculiar to the island itself. 



Of the Mammalia the number of species is very small; with the 

 exception of some bats, none are indigenous. The wild goats and 

 swine mentioned by early voyagers were undoubtedly introduced by 

 vessels; and the same may be said of the rabbit, black and brown rat 

 and mouse, which are now abundant. Seals formerly abounded on 

 the island of Madeira, but are now rarely met with. They are occa- 

 sionally seen on the neighboring islands. Dr. J. E. Gray, considering 

 the species the type of a new genus, has given it the name Helio- 

 phacu atlantica. The British Museum contains specimens of the 

 animal. 



Of the birds, but one, a wren (Regulus maderensis Harcourt), is 

 peculiar to the island, and this may be found among the laurels and 

 arborescent heaths in the least frequented parts of the island. Ac- 

 cording to the list of Mr. Harcourt, which is copied below from the 

 Annals and Magazine of Natural History for June, 1855, about thirty 



