No. VIII. AVES, WITH SOME NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF 
THE LAND-BIRDS OF THE SEYCHELLES. 
By H. Gavow, J.A4., Ph.D., F.RS., and J. STANLEY GARDINER, J_A., FL.S. 
tead 21st February, 1907. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Birps were only collected on the coral-islands visited by the expedition, no attempt 
having been made to obtain those of Mauritius and the Seychelles. The common land- 
birds at present found in the latter group are of little interest, being all recent 
introductions. Of the indigenous forms probably more than half are now extinct, 
owing to the exertions of paid collectors. There was, it is true, a law for the protection 
of birds, but it was copied from that of Mauritius; and the birds protected were those 
found in Mauritius and not in the Seychelles. 
None of the birds found in the list below are peculiar to the islands. Most are 
marine or waders, or of recent introduction by man. A pigeon and a few harriers and 
hawks, probably those found in the Maldive Group*, are said to visit the Chagos 
Archipelago about December, 7. e. during the prevalence of the north-east monsoon in 
the northern hemisphere. Guinea-fowl have been released in several islands and breed 
in Salomon, Chagos. 
From the point of view of distribution none of the birds happen to be of any interest, 
except the little green bittern, Butorides atricapilla. This genus has a wide cireum- 
tropical distribution—B. virescens in North and Central America, B. striata in South 
America, B. plumbea in Galapagos, B. stagnatilis in Australia, Papuasia, and Pacific 
islands, B. javanica in India and Malaya (also said to live on Mascarenes and Diego 
Garcia), and B. atricapilla in Africa and Madagascar. The Providence and Darros birds 
are distinctly smaller than B. javanica and in the younger specimens the throat is 
streaked as in B. atricapilla; they are decidedly more African than Indian, but the 
Chagos specimens are more intermediate. Bubulcus ibis is African against the Indian 
B. coromandus. 
The annexed list serves to illustrate the character of the avifauna of the Seychelles as 
compared with that of the neighbouring Mascarene Islands, Madagascar being included 
for comparison. It was prepared by Dr. Gadow for the International Congress of 
Ornithologists, 1905. 
* Vide ‘The Fauna and Geography of the Maldive and Laccadiye Archipelagoes,’ yol. i. p, 368. 
