402 



ISLAND LIFE. 



[PAP.T II. 



Africa. The genera which are more peculiarly Indian are, — Cop- 

 sychus and Hypsipetes, also found in Madagascar ; and Palasornis, 

 which has species in Mauritius and Rodriguez, as well as one 

 on the continent of Africa. A black parrot (Coracopsis), con- 

 generic with two species that inhabit Madagascar and with one 

 that is peculiar to the Comoros ; and a beautiful red-headed 

 blue pigeon {Alectorcenas pidcherrimus) allied to those of Mada- 

 gascar and Mauritius, but very distinct, are the most remarkable 

 species characteristic of this group of islands. 



JReptiks and Amphibia of the Seychelles. — The reptiles 

 and amphibia are rather numerous and very interesting, indicat- 

 ing clearly that the islands can hardly be classed as oceanic. 

 There are five species of lizards, three being peculiar to the 

 islands, while the two others have a rather wide range. The 

 first is a chameleon — defenceless slow-moving lizards, especially 

 abundant in Madagascar, from w^hich no less than twenty-one 

 species are now known, about the same number as on the 

 continent of Africa. The Seychelles species ( Chameleo tigris) is 

 peculiar to the islands. The next is one of the skinks {Eupre-pes 

 cyanog aster), small ground-lizards with a very wide distribution 

 in the Eastern Hemisphere. This species is, however, peculiar 

 to the islands. The other peculiar species is one of the geckoes 

 {Phelsuma seychellensis). An East African species (F. cepedianus) 

 is also found in the Seychelles, as well as in the Comoro Islands, 

 Bourbon, Mauritius, Madagascar, and Rodriguez ; and there is 

 also a third gecko of another genus {Feropus mutilatus) 

 which is found also in Mauritius, Bourbon, Rodriguez, and 

 Ceylon, and even in Penang and the Philippine Islands. These 

 lizards, clinging as they do to trees and timber, are exceedingly 

 liable to be carried in ships from one country to another, and I 

 am told by Dr. Gtinther that some are found almost every year 

 in the London Docks. It is therefore probable, that when species 

 of this family have a very wide range they have been assisted 

 in their migrations by man, though their habit of clinging to 

 trees also renders them likely to be floated with large pieces of 

 timber to considerable distances. Dr. Percival Wright, to whom 

 I am indebted for much information on the productions of the 

 Seychelles Archipelago, informs me that the last-named species 



