CHAP. XV 



THE SANDWICH ISLANDS 



316 



three species. Again, there are three groups of bird& 

 which are exceptionally abundant in Australasia — the 

 parrots, pigeons, and kingfishers — and are found in all 

 the larger Pacific Islands as far as the Marquesas ; yet 

 not a single species of either of them inhabits the Sand- 

 wich Islands. But such strange facts as these are not 

 conclusive as to the region to which these islands belong, 

 if indeed they can be said to belong to any region. All 

 they prove is that the group is and has been from its origin 

 extremely isolated, that it has received immigrants at 

 rare intervals from all directions, but that those descended 

 from an American type appear to have been among the 

 earliest to establish themselves and the best adapted to 

 the peculiar conditions that prevailed in their new home, 

 so that they have diverged into the varied and numerous 

 forms we now find there. But it still remains the fact 

 that two families which are fairly represented, the honey- 

 suckers and the true flycatchers, have been derived from 

 the Australian region, and are absolutely unknown in the 

 whole American continent. 



The amount of speciality is, however, wonderful, far 

 exceeding that of any other islands ; the only approach to 

 it being made by New Zealand and Madagascar, which 

 have a much more varied bird fauna and a smaller j9ro- 

 portionatc number of peculiar genera. The Galapagos, 

 among the true oceanic islands, while presenting many 

 peculiarities, have only four out of the ten genera of Passeres 

 peculiar. These facts undoubtedly indicate an immense 

 antiquity for this group of islands, or the vicinity of some 

 very ancient land (nov/ submerged), from which some 

 portion of their peculiar fauna might be derived. For 

 further details as to the affinities and geographical dis- 

 tribution of the genera and species, the reader must consult 

 Mr. Scott Wilson's work. The Birds of the Sandwich Islands, 

 already alluded to. 



Reptiles. — The only other vertebrate animals are two 

 lizards. One of these is a very widespread species 

 AUe/pharus poeciloplettrus, ranging from the Pacific Islands 

 to West Africa. The other is said to form a peculiar 



