ANNIVERSAEY ADDEESS OF THE PEESIDENT. QI 



in passerine birds are founded on differences that would not be con- 

 sidered generic in other classes of Yertebrata, and that by no means 

 indicate distant relationship. 



The Reptiles and Batrachians of Madagascar have been much col- 

 lected and described of late years, and I am indebted to Mr. 

 Boulenger for some additions to Dr. Eottger's list and for other 

 details*. The reptiles, the snakes excepted, are on the whole more 

 allied to African types than the mammals or birds are, although 

 there is the same remarkable absence of several characteristic 

 Ethiopian families; for instance, there are no TrionycJiidce, Agamidce, 

 Lycodontida?., Elapidce^ or Viperidce. The Oriental relations are 

 very slight. The genus Phelsuma (Geckonidae) is only represented 

 outside of the Mascarene Islands by one species found in the Anda- 

 mans. This, by itself, is not of much importance, for some geckoes 

 are rather widely distributed on oceanic islands. The distribution 

 of the genus Acontias and its allies is more important. This little 

 group of scinques, with rudimentary limbs or none, and very peculiar 

 head-shields, was formerly classed as a distinct family, but has now 

 been placed, rightly, I believe, in the great family of Scincidce. 

 About 12 species are known with certainty, of which 4 are found in 

 Ceylon, 3 in Madagascar, and 5 in Southern Africa. In the batra- 

 chians Oriental affinities are rather better shown, for in the Mascarene 

 Islands are found 16 species of Mhacophorus (Eanidae), all the other 

 species being Oriental, and a species of Calojphrynus of which the 

 only other 2 species are Oriental, whilst the ouly member of the 

 family Dyscophidce found outside the Mascarene archipelago is the 

 Burmese CalueUa guttulata. The Dyscophidce comprise 7 genera 

 and 11 species in Madagascar. 



In freshwater fishes there is one very curious case of affinity. 

 There is a family known to ichthyologists as Chromides( Chromididce), 

 entirely composed of freshwater species at the present time. This 

 family occurs in South America and throughout Africa, being well 

 represented in the Nile ; and species belonging to two genera, 

 Chromis and Hemic7i7'omis, are found in the Jordan and the Lake of 

 Galilee, in Palestine. Three species have been described from 

 Madagascar, one of these constituting a separate genus under the 

 name of Paretroplus, and forming a link between Hemichromis and 

 the only Oriental genus, Etroplus, which is peculiar to the Indian 



* The data concerning the relations and distribution of reptiles and batra- 

 chians in the present address are chiefly taken from Mr. Boulenger's recently 

 published British Museum Catalogues. 



