352 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, 
unicellular alge. I should be glad to hear of any specialists interested 
in these groups. 
During the course of the year papers were published on ‘ The Indian 
Ocean’ and the ‘Seychelles Archipelago’ in the ‘Journal of the Royal 
Geographical Society,’ October and November 1906, and February 1907. 
The full series of reports has been undertaken by the Linnean Society for 
their ‘Transactions.’ Reports have been read before the Society and are 
now in the Press on the Land Nemerteans (Mr. R. C. Punnett), Land 
and Freshwater Crustaceans (Mr. L. A. Borradaile), Hymenoptera (Mr. 
P. Cameron), Ants (Professor A. Forel), Dragon-flies (Mr. F. F, Laidlaw), 
Pycnogonida (Professor G. H. Carpenter), Aves (Dr. Gadow and Mr. J. 
Stanley Gardiner), Lithothamnia (Dr. Foslie), Stomatopoda (Mr. L. A. 
Borradaile), Coccids (Mr. E. E. Green), Ticks (Professor Neumann), and 
Fishes (Mr. C. Tate Regan). 
The above papers show that the expedition has secured a very large 
number of new species and genera in each of the classes of organisms 
collected. Of 184 species of fish fifty-three are new, and include repre- 
sentatives of no fewer than eight new genera. Most authors have as far 
as possible attempted to give the geographical distributions of the species, 
genera, and families they have dealt with. Among land animals these 
are at once of some value, but conclusions as to the geographical distribu- 
tion of marine animals can scarcely be attempted until the working-out 
of the majority of the divisions of those forms is completed. To the 
same time also must be deferred the consideration of the question as to 
how far the distribution of marine animals throws light on the former 
connections of lands. A general account of the whole expedition 
(J. Stanley Gardiner and C. Forster Cooper), giving an account of much 
of the geographical work, is prefixed to the series of reports now being 
issued. 
Geographically the Seychelles Archipelago was the most important 
area visited by the expedition. Its islands are all formed of granite, a 
rock which is otherwise peculiar to continental areas. They possess a very 
small vertebrate fauna, entirely pre-mammalian. Its most important 
forms are Cecilians, a large species of tortoise, probably the same as 
is now found in Aldabra, and a crocodile. Unfortunately these last two 
are now extinct, but the islands should be explored for their remains. 
Their plants are mostly peculiar, but possess both African and Indian 
affinities. The same, too, is true of most groups of invertebrate animals. 
Of their insects we appeared to have a fair knowledge before the 
expedition went to the group, regarding its islands as purely oceanic. 
The collections of the expedition were mainly made in the indigenous 
jungle, and give indications of adding a very large number of new forms. 
For instance, Mr. Cameron’s report on the Hymenoptera shows twelve 
new species and one new genus, exactly doubling the species known from 
the group. 
The Seychelles must be considered of great importance in view of the 
supposed former connection between India and South Africa. To eluci- 
date this, its land animals require to be known as accurately as possible. 
The indications so far point to a peculiar insect fauna, only a few forms 
of which—to judge by the analogy of the Hawaiian Islands—have as yet 
been obtained. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the expedition 
visited the archipelago in a time of drought. In any case a further 
exploration from this side would now seem imperative. There would 
