chap, xviii.] NATURAL HISTORY OF CELEBES. 425 



pected ; and an examination of its animal productions, 

 shows Celebes to be at once the poorest in the number of 

 its species, and the most isolated in the character of its 

 productions, of all the great islands in the Archipelago. 

 With its attendant islets it spreads over an extent of sea 

 hardly inferior in length and breadth to that occupied by 

 Borneo, while its actual land area is nearly double that 

 of Java ; yet its Mammalia and terrestrial birds number 

 scarcely more than half the species found in the last- 

 named island. Its position is such that it could receive 

 immigrants from every side more readily than Java, yet 

 in proportion to the species which inhabit it far fewer 

 seem derived from other islands, while far more are 

 altogether peculiar to it ; and a considerable number of its 

 animal forms are so remarkable, as to find no close allies in 

 any other part of the world. I now propose to examine 

 the best known groups of Celebesian animals in some 

 detail, to study their relations to those of other islands, 

 and to call attention to the many points of interest which 

 they suggest. 



We know far more of the birds of Celebes than we do 

 of any other group of animals. No less than 191 species 

 have been discovered, and though no doubt many more 

 wading and swimming birds have to be added, yet the list 

 of land birds, 144 in number, and which for our present 

 purpose are much the most important, must be very nearly 



