438 



ISLAND LIFE 



PART II 



it at the same period ; and we may therefore be sure that 

 these islands have never formed part of a continent during 

 any portion of the time when the dodos inhabited them. 



It is a remarkable thing that an ornithologist of Dr. 

 Hartlaub's reputation, looking at the subject from a purely 

 ornithological point of view, should yet entirely ignore the 

 evidence of these wonderful and unique birds against his 

 own theory, when he so confidently characterises Lemuria 

 as " that sunken land, which, containing parts of Africa, 

 must have extended far eastward over Southern India and 

 Ceylon, and the highest points of which we recognise in 

 the volcanic peaks of Bourbon and Mauritius, and in the 

 central range of Madagascar itself — the last resorts of the 

 mostly extinct Lemurine race which formerly peopled it." ^ 

 It is here implied that lemurs formerly inhabited Bourbon 

 and Mauritius, but of this there is not a particle of 

 evidence, and we feel pretty sure that had they done so 

 the dodos would never have been developed there. In 

 Madagascar there are no traces of dodos, while there are 

 remains of extinct gigantic struthious birds of the genus 

 iEpyornis, which were no doubt as well able to protect 

 themselves against the smaller carnivora as are the 

 ostriches, emus, and cassowaries in their respective 

 countries at the present day. 



The whole of the evidence at our command, therefore, 

 tends to establish in a very complete manner the " oceanic " 

 character of the three islands — Mauritius, Bourbon, and 

 Rodriguez, and that they have never formed part of 

 " Lemuria " or of any continent. 



Reptiles. — Mauritius, like Bourbon, has lizards, some of 

 which are peculiar species ; but no snakes, and no frogs or 

 toads but such as have been introduced.^ Strange to say, 

 however, a small islet called Round Island, only about a 

 mile across, and situated about fourteen miles north-east 

 of Mauritius, possesses a snake which is not only unknown 

 in Mauritius, but also in any other part of the world, being 

 altogether confined to this minute islet ! It belongs to 



1 See Ms, 1877, p. 334. 

 A common Indian and Malayan toad {Bufo melanostidus) has been 

 introduced into Mauritius and also some European toads, as I am informed 

 by Dr. Gunther. 



