378 



ISLAND LIFE. 



[part II. 



This list exhibits to us the marvellous fact that more than 

 half the peculiar species of Formosan birds have their nearest 

 allies in such remote regions as the Himalayas, South India, the 

 Malay Islands, or Japan, rather than in the adjacent parts 

 of the Asiatic continent. Fourteen species have Himalayan 

 allies, and six of these belong to genera which are unknown in 

 China. One has its nearest ally in the Nilgherries, and five in 

 the Malay Islands ; and of these six, four belong to genera which 

 are not Chinese. Two have their only near allies in Japan. 

 Perhaps more curious still are those cases in which, though the 

 genus is Chinese, the nearest allied species is to be sought for in 

 some remote region. .Thus we have the Formosan babbler 

 (Garrulax r^ijiceps) not allied to the species found in South 

 China, but to one inhabiting North India and East Thibet; 

 while the black bulbul {Hypsipetes nigerrimus), is not aUied to 

 the Chinese species but to an Assamese form. 



In the same category as the above we must place eight 

 species not peculiar to Formosa, but which are Indian or 

 Malayan instead of Chinese, so that they offer examples of dis- 

 continuous distribution somewhat analogous to what we found 

 to occur in Japan. These are enumerated in the following 

 list. 



Species of Birds common to Formosa and India or Malaya, but not 

 FOUND IN China. 



1. Siphia superciliaris. The Rufous-breasted Flycatcher of the S.F, 



Himalayas. 



2. Halcyon coromanda. The Great Red Kingfisher of India, Malaya, and 



Japan. 



3. Palumhus pulchricollis. The Darjeeling Wood-pigeon of the S.E. 



Himalayas. 



4. Turnix dussumieri. The larger Button-quail of India. 



5. Spizaetus nipalensis. The Spotted Hawk-eagle of Nepal and Assam. 



6. Lophospiza trivirgata. The Crested Gos-hawk of the Malay Islands. 



7. Bulaca newarensis. The Brown Wood-owl of the Himalayas. 



8. Strix Candida. The Grass-owl of India and Malaya. 



The most interesting of the above ar^ the pigeon and the 

 flycatcher, both of which are, so for as yet known, strictly con- 

 fined to the Himalayan mountains and Formosa. They thus 

 afford examples of discontinuous specific distribution exactly 



