CELEBES: A PROBLEM IN DISTRIBUTION 109 



zoological distribution, of which the Philippine Islands 

 likewise form a part. 



Now, Celebes lies due east of Borneo, from which it is 

 separated by the Macassar Strait, and also nearly midway 

 between the Philippines on the north and the small islands 

 of Lombok, Sumbawa, and Flores on the south ; these 

 three latter islands forming the continuation of the line 

 of Sumatra and Java, which evidently indicates an old 

 peninsula. Eastward of Celebes lie the Moluccas (or 

 Spice) Islands on the north, and Ceram (which forms the 

 lowest member of the same group) in the south ; both 

 these being nearly midway between Celebes and Papua 

 or New Guinea. And when we reach the latter country 

 we are practically in Australia, the animals being quite 

 unlike those of the typical Malayan islands and the other 

 countries of the Oriental region. We have, for instance, in 

 New Guinea, tree-kangaroos, cuscuses, flying-phalangers, 

 bandicoots, echidnas or spiny ant-eaters, cassowaries, cocka- 

 toos, birds of paradise, and bower-birds, all of which are 

 essentially Australian types, although some, like the birds 

 of paradise, attain their maximum development in New 

 Guinea itself. The little island of Ceram has also a fauna 

 of an Australian type, including, among other forms, a 

 cassowary. Accordingly, all naturalists are agreed that 

 Australia, New Guinea, Ceram and the other Moluccas, 

 together with the Aru and some of the other small islands 

 in the neighbourhood, form one great zoological province, 

 which may be called the Australasian. But the problem 

 has been in which region to place Celebes, whose fauna 

 is in some respects intermediate between that of the 

 Australasian and Oriental regions. By Dr. A. R. Wallace, 

 the great authority on the geographical distribution of 

 animals, it was at first classed with the former, although 



