1885] ON BIRDS COLLECTED BY THE YACHT ' MARCHESA.' 247 



Professor Bell exhibited examples of two species of Phytophagous 

 Coleoptera (^Aspidomorpha sanctcecrucis and A. miluris) from 

 Bombay, to illustrate the difference in coloration of living and dead 

 examples. 



The following papers were read : — 



I. Report on the Collections of Birds made during the 

 Voyage of the Yacht Marchesa. — I. A Provisional List 

 of the Birds inhabiting the Snlii Archipelago. By 

 F. H. H. GuiLLEMARD, M.A., M.D., F.L.S., &c. 



[Received February 13, 1885.] 

 (Plates XVII. & XVIII.) 



The Sulu Archipelago, a group of islands lying between the 

 Philippines and the extreme north-east point of Borneo, has been, 

 until quite lately, almost a terra incognita to naturalists. The diffi- 

 culties of navigation, owing to the numerous reefs and shoals, the 

 dangerous currents, and lastly, but by no means least, the possibili- 

 ties of a rencontre with pirates, rendered a visit to the islands a some- 

 what hazardous experiment in former times. Lately, however, the 

 facilities for exploring them have much increased. One of the 

 results of the formation of the new North Borneo Company has been 

 the opening of steam communication between their territory and 

 Sulu Island. Recent surveys have lessened the dangers of navigation, 

 and, though pirates still exist, even in these latter days of civiliza- 

 tion, they confine their operations chiefly to small and unarmed 

 praus. 



Ornithologically speaking, the island of Basilan has always been 

 regarded as one of the Philippines. Lord Tweeddale incorporated it 

 as such in his " List of Birds known to inhabit the Philippine 

 Archipelago " (Tr. Z. S. vol. ix. part 2) ; while Mr. Sharpe, in a 

 paper on the Birds of the Sulu Islands, followed his example by 

 omitting all notice of Mr. Everett's collection formed at Isabela de 

 Basilan. But in many geographical publications it forms part of 

 the Sulu Archipelago, and the line of separation between the latter 

 and the PhiHppine Islands is drawn to the south-west of Mindanao. 

 Such a line, however, has neither a political nor zoological raison 

 d^etre. The Sultan of Sulu has no authority in Basilan, and though 

 the Spaniards had doubtless other tlian scientific reasons for inclu- 

 ding Sulu in their charts as belonging to the Archipielago Filipino, 

 I hope to show in this paper that they are so far borne out, in that 

 the Ornis of the group appears to be almost purely Philippine. 



Mr. Sharpe, in the paper already alluded to (P. Z. S. 1879, 

 part 2), gave a list of all the Sulu birds known at that date, chiefly 

 from a small collection made by Mr. Burbidge on the island that 

 has given its name to the Archipelago. To this I have been able to 



17 



* 



