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Island Light House is built ; and at Eound Island, madre- 

 pores, of wliicli specimens are on the table, are strewn over 

 the summit, in such a manner as to create an impression that 

 the process of elevation must have been very gradual. 



Now, another similar upheaval of the sea bottom, would it 

 is quite clear, suffice to convert the Mascarene Archipelago 

 once more, into that vast continental area, which it may be 

 conjectured to have formed, when Birds, Eeptiles, and In- 

 sects circulated freely over it, from one extremity to another. 



My object however is not to put forward startling theories, 

 or even to advocate those which have been of late propounded. 

 I desire simply to invite attention to phenomena which are 

 now exciting intense interest in scientific circles at home, and 

 "which we have the best opportunities of studying at our very 

 threshold. 



To quote once more the words of one of Dr. Hooker's 

 letters to me respecting Eound Island : " I do think," he 

 writes, " that the group of Islands over which your authority 

 extends, is the most interesting on the globe ; for the Galapa- 

 gos though in certain points more peculiar, are still all Ame- 

 ricm ; your group has Malagassy, African, Indian and Malayan 

 affinities. The discovery of the Serpent on ''He Konde'' he goes 

 on to say " is a wonderful one, in whatever light it is viewed." 



Let-me conclude by remarking, that any member of this 

 Society who may have leisure and ability to bring together 

 into one focus, at it were, the identities, and discrepancies, 

 the resemblances, and distinctions, of the Faunas and Floras 

 of that group, especially if it were held for this purpose to 

 include the Seychelles, the Comoro-Isles, and Madagascar, 

 will be conferring a signal service on naturalists in other parts 

 of the world. 



Such a contribution to the Literature of Natural History, 

 would form indeed in many respects a supplement to the 

 interesting work on the Malay Archipelago, just, published 

 by Mr. Wallace ; whilst it could hardly fail to throw much 

 new light, on the intricate questions still remaining to be 

 solved, as to the origin of Oceanic Islands, and the mode in 

 which they first became stocked with Plants and Animals. 



H. BA£,KLY, 



