662 OLDFIELD THOMAS 



(lue to Dr. Modigliani, he having first investigated Pulo Nias {^), 

 then Engano (-) and now Sipora. 



He is therefore the more to be congratulated on the highly 

 interesting results of this last expedition , which quite put in 

 the shade the somewhat disappointing ones of the Nias and 

 Engano collections. 



I trust that Dr. Modigliani may next time be able to crown 

 this series of ex})lorations with a visit to the largest island of 

 all, Siberut, just north of Sipora, where he will no doubt find 

 further materials for the study of the Fauna of this interesting 

 series of islands, whose true relationship we are at present very 

 far from understanding. 



With regard to the several interesting theories ("^) as to the 

 origin of the Fauna of the Mentawei chain it may be thought 

 that the worker out of the Mammals of Sipora should express 

 an opinion. So far then as I can venture to do so. I may say 

 that the present collection does not show the very slightest 

 special relationship to Sumatra (^) and therefore lends weight 

 to the view that the chain is the remnant of a long peninsula 

 or island, similar in shape to but separate from, the Malay Penin- 

 sula or Sumatra. Further than this I cannot at present go , 

 mainly because we know so little of the small terrestrial mam- 

 mals of the other islands of the chain , those of the Nicobars 

 being almost unknown, and of Simalu, Siberut and Pageh en- 

 tirely so, while even in Nias and Engano Dr. Modigliani's col- 

 lections consisted mainly of bats. Still the few indications there 

 are, such as the relations to each other of Pleropus nicobaricus, 

 inodiglianii and natalis, of Mas sipomnus and macleari, show 

 that the mammals, like other animals, show a general similarity 



(I) See Modiglinni, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova (2) VU , p. 2;^8, 1889 — 15 species, of 

 which 8 were bats. 



(•2) Thomas, op. cit. (2) XIV, p. 105, 1894. — 12 species, of whicli 9 were bats, one 

 — Pteropus inodiglianii — being new. 



(■'■) See Vinciguerra, Rettili e Batraci di Engano, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. (2) XII, 

 p. 519, 1892. 



(') The agreement of Sipora with Java in the single item of Tvpaia l'errn.yinca 

 hypochri/sa should have a passing reference here. 



