446 dr- f. b. white on the [May 7, 



These included 65 species, of which 17 are peculiar to St. Helena, 

 31 others, being inhabitants of shallow water, are probably indigenous 

 (their exotic distribution being for the most part on the American 

 and African coasts), and nearly 20 are deep-water species and 

 common in the tropical seas. Much, however, still remains to be done, 

 not only amongst the fishes of St. Helena, but in the other groups of 

 marine animals. 



The land mollusks seem to have been more looked after than the 

 marine species. Of the former, 4 (or, including 2 unnamed slugs 1 , 6) 

 living, and 20 dead and subfossil native species have been recorded. 



Amongst the Insecta, the order Coleoptera has received most 

 attention ; and, owing to Mr. Wollaston's researches, the indigenous 

 species of that order are at least fairly, though, perhaps, not entirely, 

 known. Of the 203 species that have been found in the island, 57 

 have without any doubt been accidentally introduced ; 1 7 others may 

 have been introduced ; and the remaining 129 Mr. Wollaston con- 

 sidered to be the descendants of the " autochthones of the soil," and, 

 with one exception, absolutely peculiar to St. Helena. 



Of the Hemiptera a small, but probably fairly representative col- 

 lection was made by Mr. Wollaston. In it I find 30 determinable 

 species ; and 2 or 3 more have been recorded from the island. Of 

 the total number 5 have certainly, and 1 has, probably, been intro- 

 duced, leaving 26, which, with one exception, seem to be peculiar. 



The only other group of animals of which there is (as far as I am 

 aware) any satisfactory record is that of the Spiders, Mr. Melliss's- 

 collections 2 of which have been reported on by the Rev. O. P. Cam- 

 bridge. Out of a total of 40, 18 species seem to be indigenous, and 

 22 piobably introduced. 



We will now glance at the flora. The great mass of the present 

 flora consists of introduced species ; but of the original flora, as 

 far as it can now be traced 3 , 40 flowering plants are absolutely 

 peculiar, and the 5 other probable natives are species of wide-spread 

 tropical distribution. Of the 26 ferns, 10 are peculiar. Adding to 

 . these the other cryptogamic plants, so far as they are known, we have 

 a total of 77 plants 4 supposed to be absolutely peculiar to the island. 



" Whence and by what means came this very peculiar fauna and 

 flora?" is a question that has given rise to more than one suggestion 

 or theory. 



To begin with the flora, Sir J. D. Hooker 5 , after alluding to the 

 causes that have assisted in destroying the ancient flora, and indi- 

 cating the means by which it is possible to distinguish the aboriginal 

 from the introduced plants, proceeds to say : — " From such frag- 

 mentary data it is difficult to form any exact conclusions as to the 

 affinities of this flora ; but I think it may be safely regarded as an 



1 J. C. Melliss, 'St. Helena,' p. 118. 



3 Proc. Zool. Soc. Nov. 1869 and March 1873. 



3 Sir J. D. Hooker, "Lecture upon Insular Floras," Brit. Assoc. Adv. of ScL 

 1866. 



4 Melliss, /. c. p. 22-1. 



• 'Lecture on Insular Floras.' (Rioted in Melliss, /. r. p. 223, &c 



