348 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. [part hi. 



or mainly Oriental, and most of them are genera which range 

 widely over the region, only two (Philentoma and Rollulus) being 

 exclusively Malayan, and two others [Megalurus and Malacocircus) 

 more especially Indian or continental, five other genera, though 

 having a wide range, are typically Paleearctic, and have reached 

 the islands through North China. They are, Monticola, Acro- 

 cephalus, Phylloscopus, Calliope, and Passer ; the two first having 

 extended their range southward into the Moluccas. The pecu- 

 liarly Australian genera are only 12, the majority being charac- 

 teristic Papuan and Moluccan forms ; such as — Campephaga, 

 Alcyone, Cacatua, Tanygnathus, Ptilopus, Janthcenas, Phlogcenas, 

 and Megapodius. One is peculiar to Celebes (Prioniturus) ; one 

 to the Papuan group {Cyclopsitta) ; and one is chiefly Australian 

 (Gerygone). The beautiful little parroquets forming the genus 

 Loriculus, are characteristic of the Philippines, which possess 5 

 species, a larger number than occurs in any other group of 

 islands, though they range from India to New Guinea. There re- 

 main six peculiar genera — Phabdornis, an isolated form of creep- 

 ers (Certhiidas) : Gymnops, a remarkable bareheaded bird belong- 

 ing to the starlings (Sturnidse); Dasylophus, and Lepidogrammus, 

 remarkable genera of cuckoos (Cuculidce) ; Penelopides, a pecul- 

 iar hornbill, and Phapitreron, a genus of pigeons. Besides these 

 there are four other types (here classed as sub-genera, but con- 

 sidered to be distinct by Lord Walden) which are peculiar to 

 the Philippines. These are Psendoptynx, an owl of the genus 

 Athene ; Pseudolalage, a sub-genus of Lalage ; Zeocephns, a sub- 

 genus oiTchiirea; and Ptilocolpa, included under Carpophaga. 



When we look at the position of the Philippine group, con- 

 nected by the Bashee islands with Formosa, by Palawan and the 

 Sooloo archipelago with Borneo, and by the Tulour' and other 

 islets with the Moluccas and Celebes, we have little difficulty in 

 accounting for the peculiarities of its bird fauna. The absence 

 of a large number of Malayan groups would indicate that the 

 actual connection with Borneo, which seems necessary for the 

 introduction of the Malay types of mammalia, was not of long 

 duration ; while the large proportion of wide-spread continental 

 genera of birds would seem to imply that greater facilities had 



