396 



ISLAND LIFE. 



[rART II. 



probably inhabited Europe, wbicli at that epoch enjoyed a sub- 

 tropical climate ; and this is rendered almost certain by the 

 discovery in the Miocene of France of fossil remains of trogons 

 and jungle-fowl. If, then, these Indian birds date back to the 

 very period during which alone Lemuria could have existed, 

 that continent was quite unnecessary for their introduction into 

 Madagascar, as they could have followed the same track as the 

 mammalia of Miocene Europe and Asia ; while if, as I maintain, 

 they are of more recent date, then Lemuria had ceased to 

 exist, and could not have been the means of their introduction. 



MAP OF THE INDIAN OCEAN. 



Showing the position of bcanks less than 1,000 fathoms deep between Africa and the Indian 

 Peninsula. 



Submerged Islands between Madngascar aiid India. — Looking at 

 the accompanying map of the Indian Ocean, we see that between 

 Madagascar and India there are now extensive shoals and coral- 

 reefs, such as are always held to indicate subsidence ; and we 

 may therefore fairly postulate the former existence here of 

 several large islands, some of them not much inferior to Mada- 

 gascar itself These reefs are all separated from each other by 



