OP ISLAND FAUNAS 153 



characteristic of the continent of Africa, is here scarcely 

 suggested, for that important order is only represented 

 by a river-hog and a subfossil pygmy hippopotamus. 

 Both the species and genera of mammals are strikingly 

 pecuhar ; thus it appears that of the twenty-four 

 mammahan genera of Madagascar only two occur in 

 Africa. 



The birds are not quite so peculiar, but they also 

 show, though to a less degree, the same feature of the 

 absence of the African forms which would be expected, 

 and the presence of primitive or peculiar forms. Among 

 both snakes and Kzards we find the peculiar feature 

 that American forms are represented ; among the Hzards 

 by two Iguanidae, otherwise peculiar to America. The 

 other lizards are mostly peculiar members' of African 

 families, but a special feature is the number of 

 chameleons, and the absence of the monitors, which 

 are abundant in Africa. There are no poisonous 

 snakes. The amphibians are remarkable, for they 

 present affinities both with the Indian region and with 

 South America. The beetles, again, show affinities with 

 those of India, Austraha, and the Malayan region. 



Without considering in detail the various questions 

 raised by these peculiarities, it may be sufficient to say 

 generally that Madagascar was formerly connected to 

 Africa, and perhaps also through a chain of islands 

 to India. The connexion was broken before the higher 

 forms of life, e. g. the monkeys, the higher ungulates, 

 &c., had penetrated Africa, and consequently the 

 original mammalian and other fauna of Madagascar 

 was primitive in type. Saved from the competition of 

 higher forms by isolation, and favoured by the abundant 

 food, the absence of enemies, and the great forest area, 

 many formS; notably the lemurs, have reached a high 



