1872.] 



ON THE BIEDS OF CELEBES, 



133 



The zoogeographical relationship of the Philippines and Celebes, as exemplified by their 

 birds, has been adverted to by Mr. Wallace and other Avriters. Unfortunately the Philippine 

 archipelago, with its twelve hundred islands, has been but imperfectly explored ; while the 

 localities of many, if not of all, the known Philippine species are but vaguely ascertained. Luzon, 

 the island whose ornithology has been the most investigated, is the furthest off from Celebes, 

 and has the large island of Mindanao and many of less importance intervening. The resem- 

 blance which exists between the Celebean and Philippine avifaunas rests on the occurrence of 

 Papuan genera in Mindanao, and perhaps in South Luzon, which likewise occur in Celebes : 

 Cacatua, Tanygnatlms, Phlogcenas* ^ Hemi])haga, and Megapodius may be cited. Two genera 

 seem to be confined to Celebes and the Philippines — Prioniturus and Pyrrhocentor ; this last is 

 only known from Mindanao. Megapodius cumingi (Gould) is stated by Camel (v. Martens, 

 op. cit. p. 26) to be found in Mindanao and in Mindoro. The exact habitats of the other genera 

 remain to be determined. The known Philippine genera of the Picarise and Passeres are nearly 

 all Indo-Malayan ; but then they have mostly been as yet only obtained from the neighbourhood 

 of Manilla. They include characteristic Indian genera unknown in Celebes. Such are, besides 

 Hierax, Harpactes, Clirysocolaptes, and several other Picidae, Xantholcema, Irena, Copsychus, 

 Cittacincla, Tchitrea, lavs, Hypsipetes, Parus, and genera such as Lanius and Turdus, 



That Mindanao contains a strong Indian element, however, is shown by the fact that 

 Xantholceyna, Irena, and Copsychus have been there obtained ; Irena also occurs in the island of 

 Panay. Thus enough is known of the Philippine ornis to justify anticipation, when it is worked 

 out, of highly interesting zoogeographical facts, but not sufficient to enable us to determine the 

 degi'ee of relationship between the avifauna of the Philippine and Celebean areas. 



The absence of the two genera Criniger and Rhipidiira in Celebes constitutes one of the Tr. Z. S.viii. 

 many peculiarities of its ornis. Criniger, represented in the neighbouring Sula Islands by a 



p. 30. 



* Phlogcenas Zwzonjca (Scop.), =cnKnta (Gm.), is said by Buzeta to occur in the Calamines {eonf. v. Martens, J. fiir 0. 

 1866, p. 25). 



T 



