CHAP. XIII. ] THE AUSTRALIAN REGION. 431 
only a single species; and by the powerful Phasianide, repre- 
sented only by the common Malay jungle fowl, perhaps intro- 
duced. The entire absence of Pycnonotide is a very anomalous 
fact, since one of the largest genera, Criniger, is well represented 
in several islands of the Moluccas, and one has even been found 
in the Togian islands in the great northern inlet of Celebes ; 
but yet it passes over Celebes itself. Ceyx, a genus of small 
kingfishers, is a parallel case, since it is found everywhere from 
India to New Guinea, leaving out only Celebes; but this comes 
among those curiosities of the Celebesian fauna which we shall 
notice further on. In the list of genera derived from Borneo or 
Java, no less than 6 are represented by identical species (indi- 
cated by sp. after the name); while in the Moluccan list 5 
are thus identical. These must be taken to indicate, either that 
the genus is a recent introduction, or that stragglers still occa- 
sionally enter, crossing the breed, and thus preventing specific 
modification. In either case they depend on the existing state 
of things, and throw no light on the different distribution of 
land and sea which aided or checked migration in former times ; 
and they therefore to some extent diminish the weight of the 
Indo-Malay affinity, as measured by the relations of the peculiar 
species of Celebes. 
From our examination of the evidence thus far,—that is, taking 
account firstly, of the species, and, secondly, of the genera, which 
are common to Celebes and the groups of islands between which 
it is situated, we must admit that the connexion seems rather 
with the Oriental than with the Australian region; but when we 
take into account the proportion of the genera and species pre- 
sent, to those which are absent, and giving some weight to the 
greater extent of coast line on the Indo-Malay side, we seem 
justified in stating that the Austro-Malay element is rather the 
most fully represented. This result applies both to birds and 
mammals ; and it leads us to the belief, that during the epoch of 
existing species and genera, Celebes has never been united with 
any extensive tract of land either on the Indo-Malay or Austro- 
Malay side, but has received immigrants from both during a very 
long period, the facilities for immigration having been rather the 
