U8 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY.. [part hi. 



or mainly Oiieiital, and most of them are genera wliich range 

 widely over the region, only two (rhilcntoina and Bolhdus) being 

 exclusively Malayan, and two others [Mc()alurus and Malacociixus) 

 more especially Indian or continental. Five other genera, though 

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

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

 ccj^lialus, Phylloscopns, Callio])c., and Passer ; the two first having 

 extended their range southward into the ]\Ioluccas. The pecu- 

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

 teristic Papuan and Moluccan forms ; such as — Campephaga, 

 Alcyone, Cacatua, Tanygnathus, Ptilopns, Janthccnas, PlilogcBims, 

 and Mcgapodius. One is peculiar to Celebes {FrioniUirus) ; one 

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

 {Gerygone). The beautiful little parroquets forming the genus 

 Loriculus, are characteristic of the Philippines, ■^^'llich possess 5 

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

 islands, though they I'ange from India to Flores. Tliere remain 

 six peculiar genera — Bhahdornis, an isolated form of creepers 

 (Certhiidfo) : Gymnops, a remarkable bareheaded bird belonging 

 to the starlings (Sturnidie) ; Dasyloplius, and Zipidogravimus, 

 remarkable genera of cuckoos (Cuculidfe) ; Penelojndes, n, 23eculiar 

 hornbill, and Pliapitrcron, a genus of pigeons. Besides these there 

 are four other types (Iiere classed as sub-genera, but considered 

 to be distinct by Lord AValden) which are peculiar to the Philip- 

 pines. These are Psmidoptynx, an owl of the genus Athene ; 

 Pseudolcdagc, a sub-genus of Lalage ; Zcoccpluis, a sub-genus of 

 Tchitrea ; and Ptilocoljni, 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 



