422 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. [part in. 



velopment in size, form, and colour, until they become positively 

 injurious. This law may not improbably apply to the New 

 Guinea fauna itself, as compared with that of Borneo or any 

 other similar country ; and some of its peculiarities (such as its 

 wonderful paradise-birds) may be due to long isolation, and con- 

 sequent freedom from the influence of any competing forms. 

 The difference between the very sober colours of the Coleoptera, 

 and in a less degree of the birds, of Borneo, as compared with 

 their brilliancy in New Guinea, always struck me most forcibly, 

 and was long without any, even conjectural, explanation. It is 

 not the place here to go further into this most curious and 

 interesting subject. The reader who wishes for additional facts 

 to aid him in forming an opinion, should consult Mr. Darwin's 

 Descent of Man, chapters x. to xv. ; and my own Contributions 

 to the Theory of Natural Selection, chapters iii. and iv. 



Timor Group. — Mammalia. — In the group of islands between 

 Java and Australia, from Lombok to Timor inclusive, we find a 

 set of mammals similar to those of the Moluccas, but some of 

 them different species. A wide-spread species of Cuscus repre- 

 sents the Papuan element. A Sorex and a peculiar species of 

 wild pig, we may also accept as indigenous. Three others have 

 almost certainly been introduced. These are, (1.) Macacus cyno- 

 molgus, the very commonest Malay monkey, which may have 

 crossed the narrow straits from island to island between Java 

 and Timor, though it seems much more probable that it was in- 

 troduced by Malays, who constantly capture and rear the young 

 of this species. (2.) Cervus timoriensis, a deer, said to be a dis- 

 tinct species, inhabits Timor, but it is probably only a variety of 

 the Cervus hippelaphus of Java. This animal is, however, much 

 more likely to have crossed the sea than the monkey. (3.) Para- 

 doxurus fasciatus, takes the place of Viverra tangalunga in the 

 Moluccas, both common and wide-spread civets which are often 

 kept in confinement by the Malays. The Feli-s megalotis, long 

 supposed to be a native of Timor, has been ascertained by Mr. 

 Elliot to belong to a different country altogether. 



Birds. — The birds are much more interesting, since they are 



