CECOLOGICAL 69 



account some authorities regard the Lemurian as a separate, 

 primary region. 



Among extinct types may be mentioned the Giant ^pyornis 

 of Madagascar and the aberrant Giant Pigeons — the Dodo 

 and the Solitaire of Mauritius and Rodriguez respectively. 

 No less remarkable was the extinct Starling {Fregilupus) of 

 Reunion. But beside these must be mentioned an extinct 

 crested Parrot {Lophopsittacus mauritians) of Mauritius, and a 

 very remarkable flightless Rail {Aphanapteryx) of the same island. 

 On Rodriguez lived a Rail closely resembling Aphanapteryx 

 {Miserythrus equati), a large brevipennate Heron {Ardea 

 megacephala), a big Parrot (Necropsittacus rodericanus) and a 

 small but peculiar Owl (^Athene murivord). 



Turning now to the living species, we have in Madagascar 

 some 240 species, of which 129 are peculiar to it, and among 

 these are no fewer than 35 peculiar genera. The so-called 

 Madagascar Starling {Euryceros), more nearly allied to the 

 Shrikes, the curious Philepitta, and the still more remarkable 

 Mesites are found only in Madagascar. The Ground-rollers 

 {Atelornis) and the aberrant Leptosoma also occur here. 



The indigenous fauna of the Mascarene Islands has been 

 practically "wiped out" by the inroads of civilisation. Mauri- 

 tius and Reunion, lying within sight of each other, seem to 

 have but three species in common, and there is one genus 

 Oxynotus which is peculiar to these two islands, each possessing 

 its own species. Rodriguez has now left to it but three species, 

 all peculiar, and of which the Parrot {Pa/csorms exsul) is the 

 most noteworthy. The land birds of the Seychelles are sixteen 

 in number, and of these fourteen are peculiar. 



The Indian Region 



Though the Indian Region embraces an enormous area, and 

 presents extremely varied physical and climatic conditions, yet 

 it has produced no strikingly peculiar groups. Its avifauna 

 indeed is made up, almost entirely, of genera and species to be 

 met with in other regions, notably the Palaearctic and Ethiop- 

 ian. The most aberrant group which occurs here is that of 

 the " Broad-bills " {Eurylcemt), which represent the most primi- 

 tive known Passeres; while the remarkable Paradoxornis, an 



