168 



THE GENESIS OF SPECIES. 



[CHAP. 



Madagascar. This is the more remarkable, as we have no 

 evidence yet of the existence in Madagascar of fresh- water 

 fishes common to Africa and South America. 



Again, that interesting island Madagascar is the home 

 of very singular and special insectivorous beasts of the 

 genera Centetes, Ericulus, and Echinops ; while the only 

 other member of the group to which they belong is Sole- 

 nodon, which is a resident in the West India Islands, 



'f~ ,1 



SOLENODON. 



Cuba and Hayti. The connexion, however, between the 

 West Indies and Madagascar must surely have been at a 

 time when the great lemurine group was absent ; for it is 

 difficult to understand the spread of such a form as Soleno- 

 don, and at the same time the non-extension of the active 

 lemurs, or their utter extirpation, in such a congenial 

 situation as the West Indian Archipelago. 



