Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/577

 Tho fauna of the Seychelles is extremely poor, comprising only one species of mammal not introduced by man. The reptiles and amphibia, till recently including a crocodile, belong to the same genera as those of Madagascar and the Mascarenhas. The same remark applies to the birds, of which there are fifteen species, and of these thirteen endemic. Insects also are surprisingly rure, but include a so-called "walking leaf" (phyllium siccifolium), 60 closely resembling a green leaf that naturalists spend weeks in hunting for a single specimen.

Foreign plants and animals have mostly been introduced from Mauritius and Réunion, whence have also come the inhabitants of pure or mixed European descent. Hence, although the Seychelles belong to England, the current speech is the French creole patois of Mauritius modified by some English words and expressions Negroes are also numerous, for the most part captives rescued by the British cruisers from the Arab dhows.

Sufficient tobacco, cacao, coffee, sugar, rice, and other produce are raised for