PROOFS OF RECENT SUBSIDENCE. 259 
extinct birds of the Mascarene Islands M. Alph. Milne Edwards 
treats of a subject which has no connection with that which I 
have brought before the Academy. I published about ten years 
ago a work on Madagascar, in which I compared the flora and 
fauna of that great island with those of other lands ; but I never 
conceived the idea of uniting the Mascarene Islands to Mada- 
gascar. It is easy to satisfy oneself on that point. 
“Tam astonished at the idea of a comparison between the 
Mascarene Islands and New Zealand. Taken as a whole, the 
floras and faunas of these regions are as dissimilar as it is pos- 
sible to imagine. There certainly exist on both birds belonging 
to the Ocydvomide (of very different species, however), but this is 
only one of those points of analogy, of which examples occur by 
hundreds and thousands, where certain genera are represented 
in parts of the world which have a totally different general cha- 
racter, by species more or less closely related. 
“ With regard to the remarks which he has made touching the 
distinction to be drawn between beings which are absolutely 
confined to the regions where they have been born and those 
which are furnished with active means of locomotion, I have not 
been behindhand in proclaiming the necessity of this distinction. 
The Academy can judge, even in the case before us, with what 
care I have endeavoured to take as characteristic forms those 
species which are incapable of accomplishing long voyages. 
With regard to the forms of life in the Auckland Islands and 
New Zealand, the differences are only of such a kind as are to be 
observed in every country which extends under latitudes where 
the climate changes in a very sensible degree. As regards the 
New Zealand parroquet, it is not very credible that bands ofa 
bird of this type, setting out from New Zealand should have suc- 
ceeded in crossing over 200 or 300 leagues of ocean in order to 
breed in the desolate Macquarrie Island. Besides this, certain 
other considerations lead to the belief that Macquarrie Island is 
one of the remaining vestiges of that Tevva Austvalis which has 
disappeared beneath the sea. There can be no doubt that all 
the researches which I lay claim to, and those which I hope to 
undertake shortly, will carry with them a triumphant confirma- 
tion of the facts which have already been revealed to us by 
manifest proofs.” 
GEOLOGICAL AND ZOOLOGICAL RELATIONS 
Sr SCAMPBELL, ISLAND WITH THE NEIGH- 
BOURING SOUTHERN LANDS. 
NOTE BY, MONS.) H.. FILHOL. 
SSS 
- (Read before l’Academie des Sciences, Paris, 27th February, 1882.) 
The long residence which I made in 1874 on Campbell 
Island, when I accompanied the expedition entrusted with the 
