146 Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Ornithology of Celebes. 



to consider their structure and organization as specially adapted 

 to be in accordance with them. But this seems quite an arbi- 

 trary assumption^ and has the bad effect of stifling inquiry into 

 those peculiarities which are generally classed as " instincts " 

 and considered as incomprehensible, but which a little con- 

 sideration of the sh-ucture of the species in question, and the 

 peculiar physical conditions by which it is surrounded, would 

 show to be the inevitable and logical result of such structure 

 and conditions. I am decidedly of opinion that in very many 

 instances we can trace such a necessary connexion, especially 

 among birds, and often with more complete success than in the 

 case which I have here attempted to explain. For a perfect 

 solution of the problem we must, however, have recourse to Mr. 

 Darwin's principle of " natural selection," and need not then 

 despair of arriving at a complete and true " theory of instinct.'* 

 This subject is, however, far too large to be discussed here ; and 

 with a few words on the general character of the Ornithological 

 Fauna of Celebes I must conclude. 



I am now acquainted with 140 birds of Celebes, and there 

 are ten found by Forsten which I have not met with. This 

 number of 150 species is very small, considering the extent of 

 the island, yet I do not think that future researches will very 

 materially increase it. Many of the chief families which swell 

 the list of species of the western islands are here either alto- 

 gether absent or very feebly represented. The vast group of 

 the TurdidcB is almost absent, the BucconidcB, Trogonidce, and 

 Eurylamida quite so. The Picidce too have almost disappeared, 

 while even the Laniidce and Muscicapidce furnish us with only 

 two or three species. There are indeed a number of very pecu- 

 liar genera and species, but no extensive groups to make up for 

 the deficiencies which I have noticed. The characteristic groups 

 of the Moluccas and New Guinea on the other side are also for 

 the most part wanting. The fine group of true Lories is not 

 found here, though these birds occur in the little island of Siao, 

 a few miles to the north, from whence I obtained the lovely Eos 

 indicus, Gm. Neither do the genera Eclectus, Geoffroius, Rhi- 

 pidura, Tanysiptera, or Tr-opidorhT/nchus ever occur. 



A very large proportion of the species of Celebes are alto- 



