THE BIRDS OF THE FIJI ISLANDS. 



By Mr. G. D. ROWLEY. 



The Viti archipelago is situated to the east of Wallace's line ; and the 

 Fijian, Tongan, and Samoan groups form, to speak in zoogeographical 

 language, the third or Central-Polynesian province of the third (Polynesian) 

 subregion of the Australian Region, which latter is one of Mr. Sclater's six 

 (f/. Encyclop. Brit. 9th edit. p. 741, " Birds"). 



The Fiji Islands (discovered by Tasman in 1643) are said to be the 

 finest group in the South Seas, comprising about two hundred reef-bound 

 islets and rocks, of which sixty-five are inhabited by a population of about 

 200,000, and are of volcanic origin, generally hilly and well wooded. Viti 

 Levu is the largest and most populous. This is eighty-seven by fifty-seven 

 miles in area. 



The ornis of these islands, now belonging to the dominions of Her 

 Majesty, does not appear to be numerically great. Mr. Edgar L. Layard 

 says : — " On Ovalau we have nothing but hills, among which dwell the only 

 birds really worth seeking ; the whole country, however, is singularly 

 destitute of them. Pigeons may be heard all round ; but they are very 

 difficult to see. They are the commonest of all our birds. I suppose 

 seventy species may be set down as the number inhabiting an area of 7400 

 square miles, but scattered over a space five times as large as Wales." 



The species, however, if not numerous, are of considerable interest ; and 

 I propose to select a few for illustration in this work. 



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