. Island life; or, the phenomena and causes of insular faunas and floras, including a revision and attempted solution of the problem of geological climates. , by comparatively easy stages of 400or 500 miles each between Madagascar and India. These sub-merged islands, as shown in our map at p. 896, are of greatimportance in explaining some anomalous features in the zoologyof this great island. If the rocks of Secondary age which form a belt around theisland are held to indicate that Madagascar was once of lessextent than it is now (though this by no means necessarilyfollows), we have also evide
. Island life; or, the phenomena and causes of insular faunas and floras, including a revision and attempted solution of the problem of geological climates. , by comparatively easy stages of 400or 500 miles each between Madagascar and India. These sub-merged islands, as shown in our map at p. 896, are of greatimportance in explaining some anomalous features in the zoologyof this great island. If the rocks of Secondary age which form a belt around theisland are held to indicate that Madagascar was once of lessextent than it is now (though this by no means necessarilyfollows), we have also evidence that it has recently been con-siderably larger; for along the east coast there is an extensivebarrier coral-reef about 350 miles in length, and varying indistance from the land from a quarter of a mile to three orfour miles. This is good proof of recent subsidence; whilewe have no record of raised coral rocks inland which wouldcertainly mark any recent elevation, because fringing coral reefssurround a considerable portion of the northern, eastern, andsouth-western coasts. We may therefore conclude that during CHAP. XIX.] THE MADAGASCAR GROUP. 387. c c .1588 ISLAND LIFE. [part ii. Tertiary times the island was usually as large as, and oftenprobably much larger than, it is now. Biological features of Madagascar.—Madagascar possesses anexceedingly rich and beautiful fauna and flora, rivalling insome groups most tropical countries of equal extent, and evenwhen poor in species, of surpassing interest from the singularity,the isolation, or the beauty of its forms of life. In order toexhibit the full peculiarity of its natural history and the natureof the problems it offers to the biological student, we mustgive an outline of its more important animal forms in systematicorder. Mammalia. — Madagascar possesses no less than sixty-sixspecies of mammals—a certain proof in itself that the islandhas once formed part of a continent; but the character of theseanimals is very extraor
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