EasUrn Pieridce, 



307 



islands offers some interesting results agreeing witli those which 

 have heen ah-eady obtained for the PapiUonidce. Of any single 

 island Java takes the lead in the number of species o^ Pieridce {o 5), 

 which is probably owing to its having been more explored than 

 Sumatra or Borneo. Next conies Celebes with 30 species, and 

 further east Ceram with 24 species offers the greatest number, 

 while Timor has but 18. Java and Timor maybe considered the 

 islands in the west and east which have the most speciality, and 

 the island of Waigiou, near New Guinea, is another which may be 

 taken as offering a good type of the characteristics of the Papuan 

 fauna; yet these are all surpassed in speciality by Celebes, 

 which is situated between them, as shown by the following state- 

 ment : — 



Species of Pierida. Peculiar Species. 



Java..., 35 .... 13 



Timor . . 18 .... 7 



Waigiou 11 .... 2 



Celebes 



30 



19 



We thus are led to consider the island of Celebes, with one or 

 two small islands adjacent to it, as forming a group equivalent to 

 the much larger groups, which are well characterized by their 

 peculiar faunas, thus : — 



When we consider the very limited area of Celebes, and the 

 position in which it stands, closely surrounded on every side by 

 the other groups, and therefore liable to be colonized from some 

 of them by every ocean current and by every wind that blows, 

 the amount of peculiarity here exhibited is certainly very remark- 

 able, and indicates that its present insular condition dates from a 

 very distant period. This is equally indicated by another class 

 of facts of a more singular nature. 



