1874.] DR. GUNTHER ON THE FAUNA OF SAVAGE ISLAND. 295 



thanks are due to Professor Burnieister, of Buenos Ayres, for 

 promptly furnishing me with sexed and dated specimens of both the 

 South-American species, and to Professor Newton for the loan of 

 Swainson's (supposed) type of L. phteocepkalus from the Cambridge 

 Museum. 



6. A Contribution to the Fauna of Savage Island. 

 By Dr. A. Gunther, V.P.Z.S. 



[Keccived April 1, 1874.] 

 (Plate XLV.) 



Professor Rolleston, F.R.S., has submitted to my examination a 

 small collection of animals made at Niue or Savage Island, a locality 

 rarely touched by vessels, and then for a very short time only. Of 

 the more recent accounts of visitors to the island, I refer especially 

 to the two following : — T. H. Hood, * Notes of a Cruise in II. M.S. 

 ' Fawn ' in the Western Pacific in the year 1862 ' (Edinb. 1863, 8vo), 

 pp. 9-27 ; and J. L. Brenchley, ' Jottings during the Cruise of 

 II. M.S. 'Curac^a' among the South-Sea Islands in 1865' (Lond. 

 1873, 8vo), pp. 16-35. The island is about 40 miles in circum- 

 ference, an upraised coral plateau, nearly of an equal elevation, about 

 250 feet above the level of the sea in its highest part. Vegetation 

 is abundant and varied ; and some portions of the island are well 

 wooded. The notes of the two authors mentioned are of a rather 

 general character as far as the fauna is concerned. Hood states 

 (p. 25) : — " The fauna and flora are on a limited scale, and similar to 

 those of the larger islands to the north-west. Doves and Pigeons 

 abound ; and the large cocoa-nut-eating Crab (Birgus latro) is very 

 common and highly esteemed as an article of food by the natives." 

 Brenchley mentions " a great Bat " which he saw flying at a remark- 

 able height, " one indigenous mammifer, a small rodent of a size 

 between a water-rat and and a mouse," "a few birds, among them 

 pigeons or doves of a green colour, parrots, a pretty little green bird 

 with white feathers under the tail, a small martin or swallow," "a 

 great number of pretty little lizards, some handsome butterflies, a 

 large species of spider, and a grasshopper, three species of small 

 land-shells." 



The isolated position of the island, which is distant four degrees of 

 longitude from the nearest point of the Tonga group, and five of 

 latitude from the Navigator's Islands, renders its fauna and flora 

 objects of particular interest ; and I have no doubt that Prof. Rolles- 

 ton and his correspondent, the Rev. Mr. Lawes, will be encouraged 

 by the result of the examination of the present small collection to 

 obtain a complete set of the indigenous animals and plants. 



The only mammal in the collection is a small species of Pteropzts. 

 It appears to be identical with the species figured by Quoy and 

 Gaimard in the ' Voyage of the Astrolabe ' under the name of Pi. ton- 

 e/anus. Coloration, size, and habitat seem to point to identity 



