26 THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap. i. 



wide. At the same time we may suppose islands to be 

 upheaved in mid-channel ; and, as the subterranean forces 

 varied in intensity, and shifted their points of greatest 

 action, these islands would sometimes become connected 

 with the land on one side or other of the strait, and at 

 other times again be separated from it. Several islands 

 would at one time be joined together, at another would be 

 broken up again, till at last, after many long ages of such 

 intermittent action, we might have an irregular archipelago 

 of islands filling up the ocean channel of the Atlantic, in 

 whose appearance and arrangement we could discover 

 nothing to tell us which had been connected with Africa 

 and which with America. The animals and plants in- 

 habiting these islands would, however, certainly reveal 

 this portion of their former history. On those islands 

 which had ever formed a part of the South American 

 continent we should be sure to find such common birds 

 as chatterers and toucans and humming-birds, and some 

 of the peculiar American quadrupeds ; while on those 

 which had been separated from Africa, hornbills, orioles, 

 and honeysuckers would as certainly be found. Some 

 portion of the upraised land might at different times have 

 had a temporary connexion with both continents, and 

 would then contain a certain amount of mixture in its 

 living inhabitants. Such seems to have been the case 

 with the islands of Celebes and the Philippines. Other 



