CHAP. XIX THE MADAGASCAR GROUP 



430 



large islands, and may have supported a rich insular flora 

 and fauna of mixed Mascarene and Indian type. The 

 existing fauna and flora of the Seychelles must therefore 

 be looked upon as the remnants which have survived the 

 partial submergence of a very extensive island ; and the 

 entire absence of non-aerial mammalia may be due, either 

 to this island having never been actually united to 

 Madagascar, or to its having since undergone so much 

 submergence as to have led to the extinction of such 

 mammals as may once have inhabited it. The birds and 

 reptiles, however, though few in number, are very 

 interesting, and throw some further light on the past 

 history of the Seychelles. 



Birds of the Seychelles. — Fifteen indigenous land-birds 

 are known to inhabit the group, thirteen of which are 

 peculiar species,^ belonging to genera which occur also in 

 Madagascar or Africa. The genera which are more 

 peculiarly Indian are, — Copsychus and Hypsipetes, also 

 found in Madagascar ; and Palseornis, which has species in 

 Mauritius and Rodriguez, as well as one on the continent 

 of Africa. A black parrot (Coracopsis), congeneric with 

 two species that inhabit Madagascar and with one that is 

 peculiar to the Comoros ; and a beautiful red-headed blue 

 pigeon {Alectormnas pidehcrrimus) allied to those of Mada- 

 gascar and Mauritius, but very distinct, are the most 

 remarkable species characteristic of this group of islands. 



Reptiles and Amphibia of the Seyehelles. — The reptiles 

 and amphibia are rather numerous and very interesting, 

 indicating clearly that the islands can hardly be classed as 

 oceanic. There are seven species of lizards, three being 

 peculiar to the islands, while the others have rather a 

 wide range. The first is a chameleon — defenceless slow- 



^ The following is a list of these peculiar birds. (See the Ibis, for 1867; 

 p. 359 ; and 1879, p. 97.) 



Passeres. Psittaci. 



Ellisia seychellensis. Coracopsis barklyi. 



Copsychus seychellarum. Paloiorms ivardt. 

 Hypsipetes crassirostris. ColumbjE. 



Tchitrea corvina. Alectormnas pulcherrimus 



Nectarinia dussumieri. Turtur rostratus. 

 Zosterops modesta. Ar riPTTRFq 



semiflava. Accipitres. 



Foudia seychellaruvi. Tinnunculus gracilis. 



