OOQUEREL S DWARF LEMUR 



CHAPTER VI 



The Animals of Madagascar 



One of the most remarkable facts in the geographical distribution of animals is the 

 total distinctness of the fauna of the island of Madagascar from that of the African 

 mainland, despite the comparative narrowness of the channel between the two 

 areas. This fact indicates that Africa and Madagascar have been sundered for an 

 extremely long period, although opinions differ as to the approximate number of 

 geological periods which have elapsed since the separation took place. On the 

 whole, the Malagasy fauna presents a closer approximation to that of Africa than 

 to that of any other part of the world, although it has some Indian elements, while 

 as regards reptiles it exhibits a number of types elsewhere represented only in 



