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continental, in place of these groups, let us consider what 
would happen as it became submerged. Its flora would 
inevitably get smaller and smaller as the available area and 
choice of suitable habitats decreased, and presently a condi- 
tion like that now seen in Rodriguez would be attained. 
Let us now imagine Rodriguez to sink to submergence ; it 
is all but certain that its peculiar flora would be extermi- 
nated, being unable to live on the coral reef. If any species 
developed into a littoral form, it would probably become 
spread about the Indian Ocean, and cease to be confined to 
Rodriguez or to the island in which it first appeared. 
Ochrosia borbonica is probably such a case. It is therefore 
evident that the flora of the Laccadives and Maldives, as we 
now find it, may be equally regarded as due to the submer- 
gence of the former land areas, or to the appearance of new 
plants on an area appearing for the first time above the 
waves, or in other words, it is valueless as evidence one way 
or the other, so far as our present means of interpreting the 
evidence go. Other evidence seems to render necessary the 
supposition that where the coral reefs now are there was 
formerly a great extension of land, but there is no evidence 
from the present state of the flora for or against this view, 
nor any certain evidence even of the continual presence of 
land in the places occupied by the archipelagos. If these 
were now to be submerged and to rise again above the 
waves, they would probably acquire in time a flora almost 
identical with that which they now possess. Other evidence 
seems to indicate that the former land masses were complete- 
ly submerged, leaving only banks covered with at least a few 
fathoms of water ; the present islands subsequently rose 
above the sea, to be peopled by waves, birds, wind, and 
finally man, with their present flora. 
IX.— GENERAL SUMMARY. 
The Maidive Islands have a flora of about 284 spp. of 
flowering plants and ferns (or with the Chagos and Lacca- 
dives 359), of which the cultivated plants and weeds number 
