the malay archipelago-1-第52章

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ime　to　pack　up　all　my　collections　to　go　by　the　next　mail　steamer　to　Amboyna。　I　will　now　devote　a　few　pages　to　an　account　of　the　chief　peculiarities　of　the　Zoology　of　Celebes；　and　its　relation　to　that　of　the　surrounding　countries。

CHAPTER　XVIII。

NATURAL　HISTORY　OF　CELEBES。

THE　position　of　Celebes　is　the　most　central　in　the　Archipelago。　Immediately　to　the　north　are　the　Philippine　islands；　on　the　west　is　Borneo；　on　the　east　are　the　Molucca　islands；　and　on　the　south　is　the　Timor　groupand　it　is　on　all　sides　so　connected　with　these　islands　by　its　own　satellites；　by　small　islets；　and　by　coral　reefs；　that　neither　by　inspection　on　the　map　nor　by　actual　observation　around　its　coast；　is　it　possible　to　determine　accurately　which　should　be　grouped　with　it；　and　which　with　the　surrounding　districts。　Such　being　the　case；　we　should　naturally　expect　to　find　that　the　productions　of　this　central　island　in　some　degree　represented　the　richness　and　variety　of　the　whole　Archipelago；　while　we　should　not　expect　much　individuality　in　a　country；　so　situated；　that　it　would　seem　as　if　it　were　pre…　eminently　fitted　to　receive　stragglers　and　immigrants　from　all　around。

As　so　often　happens　in　nature；　however；　the　fact　turns　out　to　be　just　the　reverse　of　what　we　should　have　expected；　and　an　examination　of　its　animal　productions　shows　Celebes　to　be　at　once　the　poorest　in　the　number　of　its　species；　and　the　most　isolated　in　the　character　of　its　productions；　of　all　the　great　islands　in　the　Archipelago。　With　its　attendant　islets　it　spreads　over　an　extent　of　sea　hardly　inferior　in　length　and　breadth　to　that　occupied　by　Borneo；　while　its　actual　land　area　is　nearly　double　that　of　Java；　yet　its　Mammalia　and　terrestrial　birds　number　scarcely　more　than　half　the　species　found　in　the　last…　named　island。　Its　position　is　such　that　it　could　receive　immigrants　from　every　side　more　readily　than　Java；　yet　in　proportion　to　the　species　which　inhabit　it；　far　fewer　seem　derived　from　other　islands；　while　far　more　are　altogether　peculiar　to　it；　and　a　considerable　number　of　its　animal　forms　are　so　remarkable；　as　to　find　no　close　allies　in　any　other　part　of　the　world。　I　now　propose　to　examine　the　best　known　groups　of　Celebesian　animals　in　some　detail；　to　study　their　relations　to　those　of　other　islands；　and　to　call　attention　to　the　many　points　of　interest　which　they　suggest。

We　know　far　more　of　the　birds　of　Celebes　than　we　do　of　any　other　group　of　animals。　No　less　than　191　species　have　been　discovered；　and　though　no　doubt；　many　more　wading　and　swimming　birds　have　to　be　added；　yet　the　list　of　land　birds；　144　in　number；　and　which　for　our　present　purpose　are　much　the　most　important；　must　be　very　nearly　complete。　I　myself　assiduously　collected　birds　in　Celebes　for　nearly　ten　months；　and　my　assistant；　Mr。　Allen；　spent　two　months　in　the　Sula　islands。　The　Dutch　naturalist　Forsten　spent　two　years　in　Northern　Celebes　（twenty　years　before　my　visit）；　and　collections　of　birds　had　also　been　sent　to　Holland　from　Macassar。　The　French　ship　of　discovery；　L'Astrolabe；　also　touched　at　Menado　and　procured　collections。　Since　my　return　home；　the　Dutch　naturalists　Rosenberg　and　Bernstein　have　made　extensive　collections　both　in　North　Celebes　and　in　the　Sula　islands；　yet　all　their　researches　combined　have　only　added　eight　species　of　land　birds　to　those　forming　part　of　my　own　collectiona　fact　which　renders　it　almost　certain　that　there　are　very　few　more　to　discover。

Besides　Salayer　and　Boutong　on　the　south；　with　Peling　and　Bungay　on　the　east；　the　three　islands　of　the　Sula　（or　Zula）　Archipelago　also　belong　zoologically　to　Celebes；　although　their　position　is　such　that　it　would　seem　more　natural　to　group　them　with　the　Moluccas。　About　48　land　birds　are　now　known　from　the　Sula　group；　and　if　we　reject　from　these；　five　species　which　have　a　wide　range　over　the　Archipelago；　the　remainder　are　much　more　characteristic　of　Celebes　than　of　the　Moluccas。　Thirty…one　species　are　identical　with　those　of　the　former　island；　and　four　are　representatives　of　Celebes　forms；　while　only　eleven　are　Moluccan　species；　and　two　more　representatives。

But　although　the　Sula　islands　belong　to　Celebes；　they　are　so　close　to　Bouru　and　the　southern　islands　of　the　Gilolo　group；　that　several　purely　Moluccan　forms　have　migrated　there；　which　are　quite　unknown　to　the　island　of　Celebes　itself；　the　whole　thirteen　Moluccan　species　being　in　this　category；　thus　adding　to　the　productions　of　Celebes　a　foreign　element　which　does　not　really　belong　to　it。　In　studying　the　peculiarities　of　the　Celebesian　fauna；　it　will　therefore　be　well　to　consider　only　the　productions　of　the　main　island。

The　number　of　land　birds　in　the　island　of　Celebes　is　128；　and　from　these　we　may；　as　before；　strike　out　a　small　number　of　species　which　roam　over　the　whole　Archipelago　（often　from　India　to　the　Pacific）；　and　which　therefore　only　serve　to　disguise　the　peculiarities　of　individual　islands。　These　are　20　in　number；　and　leave　108　species　which　we　may　consider　as　more　especially　characteristic　of　the　island。　On　accurately　comparing　these　with　the　birds　of　all　the　surrounding　countries；　we　find　that　only　nine　extend　into　the　islands　westward；　and　nineteen　into　the　islands　eastward；　while　no　less　than　80　are　entirely　confined　to　the　Celebesian　faunaa　degree　of　individuality　which；　considering　the　situation　of　the　island；　is　hardly　to　be　equalled　in　any　other　part　of　the　world。　If　we　still　more　closely　examine　these　80　species；　we　shall　be　struck　by　the　many　peculiarities　of　structure　they　present；　and　by　the　curious　affinities　with　distant　parts　of　the　world　which　many　of　them　seem　to　indicate。　These　points　are　of　so　much　interest　and　importance　that　it　will　be　necessary　to　pass　in　review　all　those　species　which　are　peculiar　to　the　island；　and　to　call　attention　to　whatever　is　most　worthy　of　remark。

Six　species　of　the　Hawk　tribe　are　peculiar　to　Celebes；　three　of　these　are　very　distinct　from　allied　birds　which　range　over　all　India　to　Java　and　Borneo；　and　which　thus　seem　to　be　suddenly　changed　on　entering　Celebes。　Another　（Accipiter　trinotatus）　is　a　beautiful　hawk；　with　elegant　rows　of　large　round　white　spots　on　the　tail；　rendering　it　very　conspicuous　and　quite　different　from　any　other　known　bird　of　the　family。　Three　owls　are　also　peculiar；　and　one；　a　barn　owl　（Strix　rosenbergii）；　is　very　much　larger　and　stronger　than　its　ally　Strix　javanica；　which　ranges　from　India　through　all　the　islands　as　far　as　Lombock。

Of　the　ten　Parrots　found　in　Celebes；　eight　are　peculiar。　Among　them　are　two　species　of　the　singular　raquet…tailed　parrots　forming　the　genus　Prioniturus；　and　which　are　characterised　by　possessing　two　long　spoon…shaped　feathers　in　the　tail。　Two　allied　species　are　found　in　the　adjacent　island　of　Mindanao；　one　of　the　Philippines；　and　this　form　of　tail　is　found　in　no　other　parrots　in　the　whole　world。　A　small　species　of　Lorikeet　（Trichoglossus　flavoviridis）　seems　to　have　its　nearest　ally　in　Australia。

The　three　Woodpeckers　which　inhabit　the　island　are　all　peculiar；　and　are　allied　to　species　found　in　Java　and　Borneo；　although　very　different　from　them　all。

Among　the　three　peculiar　Cuckoos；　two　are　very　remarkable。　Phoenicophaus　callirhynchus　is　the　largest　and　handsomest　species　of　its　genus；　and　is　distinguished　by　the　three　colours　of　its　beak；　bright　yellow；　red；　and　black。　Eudynamis　melanorynchus　differs　from　all　its　allies　in　having　a　jet…black　bill；　whereas　the　other　species　of　the　genus　always　have　it　green；　yellow；　or　reddish。

The　Celebes　Roller　（Coracias　temmincki）　is　an　interesting　example　of　one　species　of　a　genus　being　cut　off　from　the　rest。　There　are　species　of　Coracias　in　Europe；　Asia；　and　Africa；　but　none　in　the　Malay　peninsula；　Sumatra；　Java；　or　Borneo。　The　present　species　seems　therefore　quite　out　of　place；　and　what　is　still　more　curious　is　the　fact　that　it　is　not　at　all　like　any　of　the　Asiatic　species；　but　seems　more　to　resemble　those　of　Africa。

In　the　next　family；　the　Bee…eaters；　is　another　equally　isolated　bird；　Meropogon　forsteni；　which　combines　the　characters　of　African　and　Indian　Bee…eaters；　and　whose　only　near　ally；　Meropogon　breweri；　was　discovered　by　M。　Du　Chaillu　in　West　Africa！

The　two　Celebes　Hornbills　have　no　close　allies　in　those　which　abound　in　the　surrounding　countries。　The　only　Thrush；　Geocichla　erythronota；　is　most　nearly　allied　to　a　species　peculiar　to　Timor。　Two　of　the　Flycatchers　are　closely　allied　to　Indian　species；　which　are　not　found　in　the　Malay　islands。　Two　genera　somewhat　allied　to　the　Magpies　（Streptocitta　and　Charitornis）；　but　whose　affinities　are　so　doubtful　that　Professor　Schlegel　places　them　among　the　Starlings；　are　entirely　confined　to　Celebes。　They　are　beautiful　long…tailed　birds；　with　black　and　white　plumage；　and　with　the　feathers　of　the　head　somewhat　rigid　and　scale…like。

Doubtfully　allied　to　the　Starlings　are　two　other　very　isolated　and　beautiful　birds。　One；　Enodes　erythrophrys；　has　ashy　and　yellow　plumage；　but　is　ornamented　with　broad　stripes　of　orange…　red　above　the　eyes。　The　other；　Basilornis　celebensis；　is　a　blue…　black　bird　with　a　white　patch　on　each　side　of　the　breast；　and　the　head　ornamented　with　a　beautiful　compressed　scaly　crest　of　feathers；　resembling　in　form　that　of　the　well…known　Cock…of…the…　rock　of　South　America。　The　only　ally　to　this　bird　is　found　in　Ceram；　and　has　the　feathers　of　the　crest　elongated　upwards　into　quite　a　different　form。

A　still　more　curious　bird　is　the　Scissirostrum　pagei；　which　although　it　is　at　present　classed　in　the　Starling　family；　differs　from　all　other　species　in　the　form　of　the　bill　and　nostrils；　and　seems　most　nearly　allied　in　its　general　structure　to　the　Ox…　peckers　（Buphaga）　of　tropical　Africa；　next　to　which　the　celebrated　ornithologist　Prince　Bonaparte　finally　placed　it。　It　is　almost　entirely　of　a　slatey　colour；　with　yellow　bill　and　feet；　but　the　feathers　of　the　rump　and　upper　tail…coverts　each　terminate　in　a　rigid；　glossy　pencil　or　tuft　of　a　vivid　crimson。　These　pretty　little　birds　take　the　place　of　the　metallic…green　starlings　of　the　genus　Calornis；　which　are　found　in　most　other　islands　of　the　Archipelago；　but　which　are　absent　from　Celebes。　They　go　in　flocks；　feeding　upon　grain　and　fruits；　often　frequenting　dead　trees；　in　holes　of　which　they　build　their　nests；　and　they　cling　to　the　trunks　as　easily　as　woodpeckers　or　creepers。

Out　of　eighteen　Pigeons　found　in　Celebes；　eleven　are　peculiar　to　it。　Two　of　them；　Ptilonopus　gularis　and　Turacaena　menadensis；　have　their　nearest　allies　in　Timor。　Two　others；　Carpophaga　forsteni　and　Phlaegenas　tristigmata；　most　resemble　Philippine　island　species；　and　Carpophaga　radiata　belongs　to　a　New　Guinea　group。　Lastly；　in　the　Gallinaceous　tribe；　the　curious　helmeted　Maleo　（Megacephalon　rubripes）　is　quite　isolated；　having　its　nearest　（but　still　distant）　allies　in　the　Brush…turkeys　of　Australia　and　New　Guinea。

Judging；　therefore；　by　the　opinions　of　the　eminent　naturalists　who　have　described　and　classified　its　birds；　we　find　that　many　of　the　species　have　no　near　allies　whatsoever　in　the　countries　which　surround　Celebes；　but　are　either　quite　isolated；　or　indicate　relations　with　such　distant　regions　as　New　Guinea；　Australia；　India；　or　Africa。　Other　cases　of　similar　remote　affinities　between　the　productions　of　distant　countries　no　doubt　exist；　but