CELEBES: A PROBLEM IN DISTRIBUTION 109 
zoological distribution, of which the Philippine Islands 
likewise form a part. 
Now, Celebes lies due east of Borneo, from which it is 
separated by the Macassar Strait, and also nearly midway 
between the Philippines on the north and the small islands 
of Lombok, Sumbawa, and Flores on the south; these 
three latter islands forming the continuation of the line 
of Sumatra and Java, which evidently indicates an old 
peninsula. Eastward of Celebes lie the Moluccas (or 
Spice) Islands on the north, and Ceram (which forms the 
lowest member of the same group) in the south; both 
these being nearly midway between Celebes and Papua 
or New Guinea. And when we reach the latter country 
we are practically in Australia, the animals being quite 
unlike those of the typical Malayan islands and the other 
countries of the Oriental region. We have, for instance, in 
New Guinea, tree-kangaroos, cuscuses, flying-phalangers, 
bandicoots, echidnas or spiny ant-eaters, cassowaries, cocka- 
toos, birds of paradise, and bower-birds, all of which are 
essentially Australian types, although some, like the birds 
of paradise, attain their maximum development in New 
Guinea itself. The little island of Ceram has also a fauna 
of an Australian type, including, among other forms, a 
cassowary. Accordingly, all naturalists are agreed that 
Australia, New Guinea, Ceram and the other Moluccas, 
together with the Aru and some of the other small islands 
in the neighbourhood, form one great zoological province, 
which may be called the Australasian. But the problem 
has been in which region to place Celebes, whose fauna 
is in some respects intermediate between that of the 
Australasian and Oriental regions. By Dr.. A. R. Wallace, 
the great authority on the geographical distribution of 
animals, it was at first classed with the former, although 
