1863.] BIRDS OF TIMOR, FLORES, AND LOMBOCK. 481 



single species was previously known from this locality. From the 

 next island, Sumbawa, I have obtained no collections. A few are 

 indicated by Bonaparte as existing in the Leyden Museum, the whole 

 of which, with one exception only {Trichoglossus forsteni), are found 

 in the adjacent islands. In the next island, Lombock, I collected 

 myself for two and a half months, obtaining sixty-three species of 

 birds. The island of Bali commences the Indian region of zoology, 

 which we have not now to consider ; but I may mention that, ac- 

 cording to the Dutch naturalist Zollinger, its fauna is absolutely 

 identical with that of Java. The total number of species known to 

 inhabit this group of islands is 186. Taking into consideration the 

 comparative sizes of the islands, the above numbers may be supposed 

 to represent with tolerable fairness their respective bird populations, 

 and will therefore furnish us with materials for some interesting 

 comparisons. 



The Timorese subfauna, as we may conveniently name it, differs 

 strikingly from the Moluccan in the absence of such genera as Lorius, 

 Eos, Eclectus, and Lycocorax, and also of Tanysiptera, Alcyone, 

 Criniger, and the subgenera lotreron and Cyanotreron, all of which, 

 though not peculiar to the Moluccas, are very characteristic of that 

 group of islands. On the other hand, it shows a closer connexion 

 with Australia than any other part of the archipelago, as evidenced 

 by five genera, Sphecothera, Gerygone, Pardalotus, Glycyphila, 

 and Amadina, which are found in this chain of islands, but do not 

 pass into the Moluccas or Celebes. The number of species which 

 appear to be restricted to the Timorese subfauna is eighty-one, many 

 of which, however, are very slight modifications of Australian species. 

 On the other hand, there is not a single genus confined to the group, 

 or which can be said to have its metropolis in it — indicating that 

 the fauna is strictly derivative, and of not very ancient date. In en- 

 deavouring to determine the origin of this fauna, we must eliminate 

 those species and genera which, having a wide distribution and roam- 

 ing habits, can give us little definite information. These are chiefly 

 raptorial and aquatic birds, with a portion of the Passeres ; and I find 

 that fifty-seven species of this nature are identical with those of sur- 

 rounding countries, wUile thirty-five more are representative species 

 which cannot be referred to any one island rather than another for 

 their probable origin. Deducting these ninety-two species, we have 

 left a rather larger number of birds which we can trace directly either 

 to Australia on the one side or to Java on the other. 



The species which appear to be confined to each island may be 

 classed as follows — 



Lombock 4, of which 1 genus is Australian, 1 genus Indian, 

 Flores 12, „ 5 genera are „ 2 genera „ 

 Timor 42, „ 16 „ „ „ 4 „ 



showing that while there is a great preponderance of the forms of 

 the Australian region in Timor, they decrease going westward, till in 

 Lombock they are equalled by the Indian forms. The species which 

 Proc. Zool. Soc— 1863, No. XXXI. 



