8o Le Conte on the Coast Islands of California. 
California, but probably mostly in the then coast range, viz: 
the islands; for they love the sea coast. Ihey have all been 
destroyed by change of environment, physical and organic, ex- 
cept those isolated on the islands and thus saved from the effects 
of invasion. 
Readers of Mr. Wallace's "Island Life" will at once see the 
analogy between this explanation of the flora of our coast islands 
and Mr. Wallace's explanation of the mammalian fauna of 
Madagascar. The mammalian fauna of Africa, south of Sahara, 
consists of two ver}' distinct groups — the one indigenous ox Aii- 
scendants of Tertiar}^ indigenes, and rcuiotcly resembling that 
of Madagascar, the other evidcntl}- J'orcig?i, and resembling 
that of Eurasia in Aliocene and Pliocene times. During Ter- 
tiary times Africa was isolated from Eurasia, but united with 
Madagascar, and the whole inhabited by a peculiar fauna, 
characterized b}' lemurs, insectivores, etc., which we have called 
indigenes. About middle Tertiary times, Madagascar was sep- 
arated, and immediately divergence between the two faunas 
commenced. In later Tertiary and early Quaternary, the bar- 
rier which separated Africa from Eurasia was removed, and 
the great Eurasian animals invaded Africa, and immediately 
became the dominant type. In the struggle which ensued, 
many species, especially of the weaker indigenes, were destroyed, 
and all on both sides modified. The result is the African fauna 
of to-day. Madagascar was saved from this invasion by isola- 
tion. The fauna tliere consists of the greatly modified descen- 
dants of the African Tertiar}^ indigenes, but far less modified 
than their congeners in Africa. In the fauna of Madagascar,, 
therefore, we have the nearest approach to the Tertiary indi- 
genes of both. 
The difference between the two cases is this: In the case of 
Madagascar the sejoaration has been very long. The extreme 
peculiarity of its fauna is the result partly of progressive diver- 
gence rmd partly of many jornis saved by isolation. In the case 
of the coast islands of California, the separation is comparatively 
recent — there has not been time enough for very great diver- 
gence by modification. The peculiarity of its flora is due 
almost wholly to species saved by isolation. 
In conclusion I would say, that this short paper is intended 
