chap, xi.] THE ETHIOPIAN REGION." 281 



peculiar species of Pratincola, Hypsipetcs, Phedina, Tchitrea, 

 Zosteraps, Foudia, Collocalia, and Coracopsis ; while Mauritius has 

 a very peculiar form of dove of the sub-genus Trocaza ; an Alec- 

 trainas, extinct within the last thirty years ; and a species of the 

 Oriental genus of parroquets, Palceornis. The small and remote 

 island of Rodriguez has another Palceornis, as well as a peculiar 

 Foudia, and a Drymceca of apparently Indian affinity. 



Coming to the Seychelle Islands, far to the north, we find the 

 only mammal an Indian species of bat (Pteropus edivardsii). Of 

 the twelve land-birds all but one are peculiar species, but all belong 

 to genera found also in Madagascar, except one — a peculiar species 

 of Palmomis. This is an Oriental genus, but found also in several 

 Mascarene Islands and on the African continent. A species of 

 black parrot {Coracopsis barklayi) and a weaver bird of peculiar 

 type {Foudia seychellarum) show, however, a decided connection 

 with Madagascar. There are also two peculiar pigeons — a short- 

 winged Turtur and an Alcctrwnas. 



Most of the birds of the Comoro Islands are Madagascar spe- 

 cies, only two being African. Five are peculiar, belonging to the 

 genera Nectarinia, Zosterops, Dicrurus, Foudia, and Alectrosnas. 



Reptiles are scarce. There appear to be no snakes in Mauri- 

 tius and Bourbon, though some African species are said to be 

 found in the Seychelle Islands. Lizards are fairly represented. 

 Mauritius has CryptoMepharus, an Australian genus of Gymno- 

 pthalmidse ; Hemidactylus (a wide- spread genus) ; Percpus 

 (Oriental and Australian) — both belonging to the Geckotidae. 

 Bourbon has Heteropus, a Moluccan and Australian genus of 

 Scincidae; Phelsuma (Geckotidae), and Chameleo, both found also 

 in Madagascar ; as well as Pyxis, one of the tortoises. The 

 Seychelles have Theconyx, a peculiar genus of Geckotidae, and 

 Chameleo. Gigantic land-tortoises, which formerly inhabited 

 most of the Mascarene Islands, now only survive in Aldabra, a 

 small island north of the Seychelles. These will be noticed 

 again further on. Amphibia seem only to be recorded from the 

 Seychelles, where two genera of tree-frogs of the family Poly- 

 pedatidae are found ; one {Megalixalus) peculiar, the other 

 {Bappia) found also in Madagascar and Africa. 



Yol. I.— 20 



