CHAP. XVII.] 



THE PHILIPPINES. 



301 



The PJiilippine Islands. — A sufficiently detailed account of tlio 

 fauna of these islands, and their relation to the countries which 

 form the subject of this chapter, has been given in my (j^c- 

 graphical Distribution of Animals., Vol. I. pp. 345-349 ; but since 

 that time considerable additions have been made to their fauna, 

 and these have had the effect of diminishing their isolation from 

 the other islands. Six genera have been added to the terrestrial 

 mammalia — Grocidura, Felis, Tragulus, Hystrix, Pteromys, and 

 Mus, as well as two additional squirrels ; while the black ape 

 {Cynopithecus niger) has been struck out as not inhabiting the 

 Philippines. This brings the known mammalia to twenty-one 

 species, and no doubt several others remain to be discovered. 

 The birds have been increased from 219 to 288 species, and the 

 additions include many Malayan genera which were thought to be 

 absent. Such are Phyllornis (green bulbuls); Eurylsemus (gaper), 

 Malacopteron, one of the babblers ; and Criniger, one of the fruit- 

 thrushes; as well as Batrachostomus, the frog-mouthed goat- 

 sucker. There still remain, however, a large number of Malayan 

 genera absent from the Philippines, while there are a few 

 Australian and Indian or Chinese genera which are not Malayan. 

 We must also note that about nine-tenths of the mammalia and 

 two-thirds of the land-birds are peculiar species, a very much 

 larger proportion than is found on any other Malay island. 



The origin of these peculiarities is not difficult to trace. The 

 Philippines are almost surrounded by deep sea, but are connected 

 with Boroeo by means of two narrow submarine banks, on the 

 northern of which is situated Palawan, and on the southern the 

 Sooloo Islands. Two small groups of islands, the Bashees and 

 Babuyanes, have also afforded a partial connection with the 

 continent by way of Formosa. It is evident that the Philippines 

 once formed part of the great Malayan extension of Asia, but 

 that they were separated considerably earlier than Java ; and 

 having been since greatly isolated and much broken up by 

 volcanic disturbances, their species have for the most part 

 become modified into distinct local species. They have also 

 received a few Chinese types by the route already indicated, 

 and a fev/ Australian forms owing to their proximity to the 

 Moluccas. The reason of their comparative poverty in genera 



