_The Seychelles Archipelago._--This interesting group consists of about thirty small islands situated 700 miles N.N.E. of Madagascar, or almost exactly in the line formed by continuing the central ridge of that great island. The Seychelles stand upon a rather extensive shallow bank, the 100-fathom line around them enclosing an area nearly 200 miles long by 100 miles wide, while the 500-fathom line shows an extension of nearly 100 miles in a southern direction. All the larger islands are of granite, with mountains rising to 3,000 feet in Mahe, and to from 1,000 to 2,000 feet in several of the other islands. We can therefore hardly doubt that they form a portion of the great line of upheaval which produced the central granitic mass of Madagascar, intervening points being indicated by the Amirantes, the Providence, and the Farquhar Islands, which, though all coralline, probably rest on a granitic basis. Deep channels of more than 1,000 fathoms now separate these islands from each other, and if they were ever sufficiently elevated to be united, it was probably at a very remote epoch. The Seychelles may thus have had ample facilities for receiving from Madagascar such immigrants as can pass over narrow seas; and, on the other hand, they were equally favourably situated as regards the extensive Saya de Malha and Cargados banks, which were probably once {430} large islands, and may have supported a rich insular flora and fauna of mixed Mascarene and Indian type. The existing fauna and flora of the Seychelles must therefore be looked upon as the remnants which have survived the partial submergence of a very extensive island; and the entire absence of non-aerial mammalia may be due, either to this island having never been actually united to Madagascar, or to its having since undergone so much submergence as to have led to the extinction of such mammals as may once have inhabited it. The birds and reptiles, however, though few in number, are very interesting, and throw some further light on the past history of the Seychelles. _Birds of the Seychelles._--Fifteen indigenous land-birds are known to inhabit the group, thirteen of which are peculiar species,[106] belonging to genera which occur also in Madagascar or Africa. The genera which are more peculiarly Indian are,--Copsychus 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), congeneric with two species that inhabit Madagascar and with one that is peculiar to the Comoros; and a beautiful red-headed blue pigeon (_Alectoraenas pulcherrimus_) allied to those of Madagascar and Mauritius, but very distinct, are the most remarkable species characteristic of this group of islands.