THE MAMMALS, EEPTILES, AND FISHES. 



BY EDGAR R. WAITE, F.L.S., 



Zoologist, Australian Museum. 



[Plate VIII.] 



EXCLUDING the Birds, the indigenous terrestrial Vertebrate fauna 

 of the Funafuti Atoll appears to be comprised in five species : 

 a rat and four lizards. Introduced, are the European rat and 

 mouse, of which, however, examples were not obtained for certain 

 identification ; and, as domestic animals, the pig and cat. 



Dogs, now unknown on the Atoll, were at one time common, 

 but were purposely exterminated, the reason, according to Moss, 

 being as follows* : " At Funafuti the Turimen march round the 

 village during the night, and quietly steal into the houses to see 

 if all is right. It was found that the house dogs barked and 

 gave notice of their approach, so they forthwith decreed the 

 destruction of all dogs on the island and again became masters of 

 the situation." 



Of marine animals, we are told that " Porpoises " are common 

 off the coast at certain periods,! and that a turtle is also occa- 

 sionally obtained ; Bats, Crocodiles, Ophidians, and Batrachians 

 are unknown. 



There being no fresh water on the Atoll beyond what the 

 inhabitants can obtain by artificially arresting the rainfall, the 

 Fish fauna is represented only by marine forms. Of these a fair 

 number was collected, and indirect evidence respecting a few 

 others is noted in the accompanying list. 



MAMMALS. 



Much of the literature of the Pacific Islands contains some 

 mention of a native rat, described as living in the bush or infest- 

 ing the houses and feeding upon vegetables and fruit, but for the 



* Moss Through Atolls and Islands in the Great South Sea, 1889, 

 p. 118. 

 t See p. 67, " General Account." 



