402 
ISLAND LIFE. 
[part II. 
Africa. The genera which are more peculiarly Indian are, — Cop- 
sychus and Hypsipetes, also found in Madagascar ; and Palaeornis, 
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. 
Reptiles 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 which no less than twenty-one 
species are now known, about the same number as on the 
continent of Africa. The Seychelles species ( Ghameleo tigris ) is 
peculiar to the islands. The next is one of the skinks (. Euprepes 
cyanogaster ), 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 (P. 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 ( Peropus muiilatus) 
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. Gunther 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 
