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Show 446 DR. F. B. WHITE ON T H E [May 7, These included 65 species, of which 17 are peculiar to St. Helena, 31 others, being inhabitants of shallow water, are probably indigenous (their exotic distribution being for the most part on the American and African coasts), and nearly 20 are deep-water species and common in the tropical seas. Much, however, still remains to be done, not only amongst the fishes of St. Helena, but in the other groups of marine animals. The land mollusks seem to have been more looked after than the marine species. Of the former, 4 (or, including 2 unnamed slugs1, 6) living, and 20 dead and subfossil native species have been recorded. Amongst the Insecta, the order Coleoptera has received most attention ; and, owing to M r . Wollaston's researches, the indigenous species of that order are at least fairly, though, perhaps, not entirely, known. Of the 203 species that have been found in the island, 57 have without any doubt been accidentally introduced ; 17 others may have been introduced; and the remaining 129 M r . "Wollaston considered to be the descendants of the " autochthones of the soil," and, with one exception, absolutely peculiar to St. Helena. Of the Hemiptera a small, but probably fairly representative collection was made by M r . Wollaston. In it I find 30 determinable species; and 2 or 3 more have been recorded from the island. Of the total number 5 have certainly, and 1 has, probably, been introduced, leaving 26, which, with one exception, seem to be peculiar. The only other group of animals of which there is (as far as I am aware) any satisfactory record is that of the Spiders, Mr. Melliss's collections2 of which have been reported on by the Rev. O. P. Cambridge. Out of a total of 40, 18 species seem to be indigenous, and 22 probably introduced. "We will now glance at the flora. The great mass of the present flora consists of introduced species; but of the original flora, as far as it can now be traced3, 40 flowering plants are absolutely peculiar, and the 5 other probable natives are species of wide-spread tropical distribution. Of the 26 ferns, 10 are peculiar. Adding to these the other cryptogamic plants, so far as they are known, we have a total of 77 plants4 supposed to be absolutely peculiar to the island. " Whence and by what means came this very peculiar fauna and flora?" is a question that has given rise to more than one suggestion or theory. To begin with the flora, Sir J. D. Hooker5, after alluding to the causes that have assisted in destroying the ancient flora, and indicating the means by which it is possible to distinguish the aboriginal from the introduced plants, proceeds to say :-" From such fragmentary data it is difficult to form any exact conclusions as to the affinities of this flora ; but I think it may be safely regarded as an 1 J. C. Melliss, 'St. Helena,' p. 118. a Proc. Zool. Soc. Nov. 1869 and March 1873. 3 Sir J. D. Hooker, "Lecture upon Insular Floras," Brit. Assoc. Adv. of Sci. 1866. 4 Melliss, I. c. p. 224. • 'Lecture on Insular Floras,' quoted in Melliss, I. c. p. 223, &c. |
