74 



AUSTRALASIA. 



with the Malay peninsula, has a fauna which may be regarded as almost identical 

 with that of the mainland. Borneo, being farther removed, already presents a 

 certain originality in its animal forms. Still more marked characteristics are oiîered 

 by Java, notwithstanding its proximity to Sumatra, with which it is farther 

 connected by intervening islets affording resting-places to birds of passage. 

 From the fact that Java possesses more endemic birds and insects than either 

 Borneo or Sumatra, it may be inferred that it was the first to be detached from 

 the mainland. Borneo doubtless still formed continuous land with Indo-China at 

 a time when Java was already surrounded on all sides by the marine waters. 



Fig. 25. — Parting Line of the Indonesian Faunas. 

 Scale 1 : 32,500,000. 



hast or breeiwich 



Depth- 



to 640 

 1-eet. 



640 Peet and 

 upwards. 



. GOO Mileis. 



Hence the zoological data formally contradict the Javanese tradition to the effect 

 that the physical rupture between Sumatra and Java was quite a recent event, 

 dating only from about the year 1000 of the new era. 



But the zoological exploration of Indonesia is still far from being concluded. 

 The region best known to naturalists is the western section of Java, although 

 much attention has also been bestowed on the district of Padang in Sumatra, 

 those of Sarawak and Banjermassin in Borneo, the island of Bangka, and certain 

 peninsiilas in Celebes. But all this forms but a small fraction of the vast 

 Indonesian domain, and the future doubtless reserves many surprises for the 

 naturalist. 



