46 THE NOTOG^IC REALM. [CHAP. 



on the east. The largest of these is Celebes, while those of the 

 Moluccan group, such as Gilolo, Buru, Ceram, and Timor-Laut, 

 together with Timor and Sumbawa, are of smaller size. Unfor- 

 tunately no complete lists of the fauna of these islands, so far as I 

 am aware, have yet been published. 



Commencing with Timor and the Moluccas, we find several 

 of the latter group of islands inhabited by four species of 

 cuscus (Phalanger\ two of which are common to the Australian 

 region, while the third (P. ornatus] is peculiar, and the fourth 

 (P. celebensis], which in this group is found only in Sanghir Island, 

 is an inhabitant of Celebes, where the other three are unknown. 

 The only other Austro-Malayan marsupial 1 is a variety of the 

 Australian lesser flying-phalanger (Petaurus breviceps\ this variety 

 ranging eastwards from Gilolo to the New Britain group. With 

 the possible exception of certain shrews, most of the few Moluccan 

 species of eutherian mammals appear to be identical with those 

 of Celebes, whence they were probably introduced. A deer from 

 Timor has received a distinct name (Cervus timoriensis\ and the 

 same island is also inhabited by a common Malayan monkey 

 (Macacus cynomolgus), a palm-civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus], 

 and a true civet ( Viverra tangalungci], the latter being common to 

 the Moluccas. The common Javan porcupine (Hystrix javanica), 

 which is widely spread in the Malayan islands, is also found in 

 Timor. There is likewise a cat in the same island, which although 

 described under the name of Felis megalotis as a distinct species, 

 and regarded by Mr Jentink as such, has been identified by 

 Mr W. L. Sclater in his " Catalogue of the Mammalia in the 

 Indian Museum " as a mere variety of the domestic species. In 

 regard to all the Timorese forms which are closely allied to, or 

 identical with well-known Malayan species, it is necessary to take 

 into consideration the well-known partiality of the Malays for 

 taming wild animals and carrying them about during their voyages; 

 and it is highly probable that all or most of such animals found 

 in Timor have been thus introduced. From the small island of 

 Flores Mr Jentink has described a rat (Mus armandvillei), which is 

 the largest member of its genus. 



1 The Kei Islands, like the Aru group, may be best affiliated to Papua. 



