318 
MADAGASCAR. 
posed of for almost fabulous sums to English 
and Continental florists. 
It is probably due to the fact that the island 
lies somewhat out of the way of the ordinary 
busy lines of the world's commerce, that so little 
is comparatively known or understood of the 
internal condition or special features or objects 
of interest in Madagascar. Glancing at its posi¬ 
tion on the map, it might naturally be supposed 
to have many points of affinity with the neigh¬ 
bouring continent of Africa, especially in relation 
to their animal and vegetable life. Strange to 
say, it is quite the contrary, and this fact has 
been enlarged upon by all naturalists and ex¬ 
plorers who have given attention to these things. 
One authority says that “ the island is remark¬ 
able as presenting one of the best-known and 
strangest anomalies in geographical distribution.” 
There is a striking absence of all animal life, 
especially in regard to the larger species of 
mammalia ; and this remark applies without ex¬ 
ception to the whole island. First of all, we are 
struck with the entire absence of the lion, tiger, 
panther, leopard, and, in fact, all the more im¬ 
portant flesh-eating animals, there being abso¬ 
lutely no representative of this class larger than 
a species of wild cat, and a very small animal of 
the wolf kind. The enormous and thick-skinned 
animals characteristic of the African jungles and 
