Goo Chase 5 Osborn iii.. CONTENTS. PAGE 1.-THE FAUNA OF MADAGASCAR AND THE MASCARENE ISLANDS. By ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE, ESQ., LL.D. (Reprinted by the kind permission of the Author and Pub lishers from "The Geographical Distribution of Animals.") 129 6. THE IDEAS OF THE MALAGASY WITH REGARD TO DESTINY. By MR. H. E. CLARK, F.F.M.A. .......... 7.-MALAGASY HYMNOLOGY, AND ITS CONNECTION CHRISTIAN LIFE IN MADAGASCAR. By REV. J. SIBREE, * It will be observed that the numbering of the pages does not commence afresh, but is iv. 11. THE PERSONAL ARTICLE 'I' IN MALAGASY. By REV. R. BARON, L.M.S. ...... 12.-'SIKIDY' AND 'VINTANA': HALF-HOURS WITH MALAGASY DIVINERS. (No. I.) By REV. L. Dahle, N.M.S. ...... PAGE 216 ... 218 13. NOTES ON THE BETSILEO DIALECT (AS SPOKEN IN THE ARINDRANO DISTRICT). By REV. T. ROWLANDS, L.M.S..... 14. SOME BETSIMISARAKA SUPERSTITIONS. BY REV. G. H. SMITH, M.A., S.P.G. 235 239 15.-A NEW MALAGASY GRAMMAR. By REV. W. E. COUSINS. 244 16.-BIAZAVOLA : A MALAGASY BARD. By W. CLAYTON PICK ERSGILL, Esq. 247 17.—VARIETIES: THE PIRATES IN MADAGASCAR-GEOLOGICAL JOTTINGS THE PROTO-MARTYR OF MADAGASCAR - THE ETYMOLOGY OF 'ANTANANARIVO' AND 'ANDRIAMANITRA' .. 250 The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for every opinion expressed by those who contribute to the pages of the ANNUAL, but only for the general character of the articles as a whole. THE ANTANANARIVO ANNUAL AND MADAGASCAR MAGAZINE. THE FAUNA OF MADAGASCAR AND THE MASCARENE ISLANDS. [THE following paper, which forms Chapter xi. vol. I., of the valuable work entitled The Geographical Distribution of Animals, by the eminent naturalist, Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace, is here reproduced by the kind permission of the Author and his publishers, Messrs. Macmillan. A few extracts from other portions of that work, bearing on the fauna of Madagascar and the neighbouring islands, have also been added, in some cases in a foot-note, but in others in an Appendix; and the Editors of the ANNUAL have much pleasure in here acknowledging Mr. Wallace's ready compliance with their request to be allowed to reprint this interesting paper. The only alterations made are by the addition of a note in one or two places shewing, from Island Life, chap. xix., Mr. Wallace's later views on certain points.EDS.] THI HIS insular sub-region is one of the most remarkable zoological districts on the globe, bearing a similar relation to Africa as the Antilles to Tropical America, or New Zealand to Australia, but possessing a much richer fauna than either of these, and in some respects a more remarkable one even than New Zealand. It comprises, besides Madagascar, the islands of Mauritius, Bourbon and Rodriguez, the Seychelles and Comoro Islands. Madagascar itself is an island of the first class, being [nearly] a thousand miles long, and about 250 It must be remembered that the whole surface of the globe is divided by Mr. Wallace into six zoological 'regions,' in each of which broad and clearly marked distinctions are shewn to exist in the animal life as compared with that of the other great divisions. Each of these regions is again divided into ‘sub-regions,' Madagascar and the neighbouring islands forming the Malagasy Sub-region' of the 'Ethiopian Region,' a zoological division whieh includes Africa south of the Tropic of Cancer, together with its islands, excepting the Cape De Verde group.-EDS. No. 10.-CHRISTMAS, 1886. miles in average width. It lies parallel to the coast of Africa, near the southern Tropic, and is separated by 230 miles of sea from the nearest part of the continent, although a bank of soundings projecting from its western coast reduces this distance to about 160 miles. Madagascar is a mountainous island, and the greater part of the interior consists of open elevated plateaus; but between these and the coast there intervene broad belts of luxuriant tropical forests. It is this forestdistrict that has yielded most of those remarkable types of animal life which we shall have to enumerate; and it is probable that many more remain to be discovered. As all the main features of this sub-region are developed in Madagascar, we shall first endeavour to give a complete outline of the fauna of that country; and afterwards shew how far the surrounding islands partake of its peculiarities. MAMMALIA.-The fauna of Madagascar is tolerably rich in genera and species of Mammalia, although these belong to a very limited number of families and orders. It is especially characterized by its abundance of Lemurida and Insectivora; it also possesses a few peculiar Carnivora of small size; but most of the other groups in which Africa is especially rich-apes and monkeys, lions, leopards and hyænas, zebras, giraffes, antelopes, elephants and rhinoceroses, and even porcupines and squirrels, are wholly wanting. No less than 40 distinct families of land mammals are represented on the continent of Africa, only 11 of which occur in Madagascar, which also possesses 3 families peculiar to itself. The following is a list of all the genera of Mammalia as yet known to inhabit the island:: |