530 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the Geographical 



Picarian birds^ we find the Trogons of the genus Harpades, 

 the Bee-eaters of the genus Nyctiornis, and several genera 

 of Cuckoos {Phcenicophaus , Dasylophus, &c.) restricted to 

 the Oriental Region_, and among the Parrots the genera 

 Palceornis and Loriculus. Some of the most highly 

 developed forms of the Gallince are likewise only met with 

 within the limits of the Oriental Region : amongst these 

 we may mention Pavo, Ceriornis, Polyplectron, Argus, 

 Evplocamus, and Rollulus. 



(c) Svbregions. — There is no part of the world where 

 more attention has been paid to ornithology and greater 

 progress made in advancing it during the past fifteen 

 years than in the various parts of the Oriental Region. 

 But the question of its division into subregions is still a 

 very difficult one, and I am not prepared to enter into it 

 on the present occasion. In commenting, however, upon 

 some of the principal recent authorities for our knowledge 

 of its birds, I will speak of the Oriental Region under the 

 subjoined heads : — 



1. The Indian Peninsula and Ceylon. 



2. The Burmese Countries and Malay Peninsula. 



3. The Sunda Islands and adjoining islands down to 

 Wallace's line. 



4. Celebes. 



5. The Philippine Archipelago. 



1. The Indian Peninsula and Ceylon. 



In 1875, at the time I read the " British Association 

 Address,''^ Jerdon's ' Birds of India,' published in 1864, 

 was the only book of reference for the Indian Orni- 

 thologist, and I insisted loudly on the absolute necessity 

 of a new one. Although since that period students 

 of birds have been numerous in every part of the 

 Peninsula, mainly under the impetus given to the good 

 work by Mr. Allan Hume, C.B., and his periodical 

 ' Stray Feathers ' (56), it is only quite recently that the 

 grand necessity of a new Handbook has been supplied, 

 and even now this much desired work is not complete. 



