CHAP. XXII.] MORTY ISLAND. 21 



islands of the Pacific. It is otherwise difficult to under- 

 stand how so many fertile districts should possess no true 

 indigenes. 



Gilolo, or Halmaheira as it is called by the Malays 

 and Dutch, seems to have been recently modified by up- 

 heaval and subsidence. In 1673, a mountain is said to 

 have been upheaved at Gamokonora on the northern 

 peninsvila. All the parts that I have seen have either 

 been volcanic or coralline, and along the coast there are 

 fringing coral reefs very dangerous to navigation. At 

 the same time, the character of its natural history 

 proves it to be a rather ancient land, since it possesses a 

 number of animals peculiar to itself or common to the 

 small islands around it, but almost always distinct from 

 those of New Guinea on the east, of Ceram on the south, 

 and of Celebes and the Sula islands on the west. ■ 



The island of Morty, close to the north-eastern extremity 

 of Gilolo, was visited by my assistant Charles Allen, as 

 well as by Dr. Bernstein ; and the collections obtained 

 there present some curious differences from those of the 

 main island. About fifty-six species of land- birds are 

 known to inhabit this island, and of these a kingfisher 

 (Tanysiptera doris), a honeysucker (Tropidorhynchus fus- 

 cicapillus), and a large crow-like starling (Lycocorax moro- 

 tensis), are quite distinct from allied species found in 

 Gilolo. The island is coralline and sandy, and we must 



