204 



NATURAL mSTORr, 



[CEAP. XIV. 



uver a large part of the Archipelago, that it is impossible 

 to trace them as having come from m\y one j>art rather 

 than from anotlier. There are fifty-seven such species in 

 my list, and besides these there are thirty-five more which, 

 though peculiar to the Timor group, are yet allied to wide- 

 ranging forms. Deducting tliese ninety-two species, we 

 have nearly a hundred birds left whose relations with 

 those of other countries we will now consider. 



Jf we first take those species which, as far as we yet 

 know, are absolutely confined to each island, we find, in— 



Lombock 4, belonging to 2 gtJtiGta, of whleli 1 is Atmtralifta, 1 Indian. 

 Florea , 13 y, "i » 5 arc „ 2 „ 



Timor , 42 „ 20 „ 16 „ 4 „ 



The actual nmnher of peculiar specie-s in each island I do 

 not suppose to be at all accurately determined, since the 

 rapidly increasing numbers evidently depend upon the 

 more extensive collections made in Timor than in Florea, 

 and in Fiores than in Lonibock ; but what we can depend 

 more upon, and what Is of more especial interest, is the 

 greatly increxised proportion of Austmlian forms and de- 

 creased proportion of Indian forms, as we go from vrest to 

 east AYe shall show this in a yet more striking manner 

 by counting the number of species identical with those of 

 .lava and Australia respectively in each island, thus : 



Here we see plainly the course of the migration whicli 

 has been going on for hundreds or thousands of years, and 

 is still going on at the present day. Birds entering from 

 Java are most numerous in the island nearest Java ; each 

 strait of the sea to be crossed to reach another island oflers 

 an obstacle, and thus a smaih^r nunibtr get over to the 

 next island.^ It will be ohserved tliat the number of 

 birds that appear to have entered from Australia is much 

 les3 tlian those which have cume fiom Java ; and we may 

 at first sight suppose that this is due to the wide sea that 



^ Tlifi naraea of all tlio binls inhabiting these iaUtids are in be foimd 

 in the* *• Proceedings of the Zoologicid Socioly of Loudon " for the year 



Jftvan birds , , 

 Aoatralian birds , 



In Lonibock. In Fiores. In Timor. 

 . 33 23 11 



. 4 5 10 



