424 



ISLAND LIFE. 



[part II. 



within about forty miles of the western promontory of Celebes ; 

 but farther north there is deep water close to the shore, and it 

 seems probable that a deep channel extends quite through the 

 straits, which have no doubt been much shallowed by the deposits 

 from the great Bornean rivers as well as by those of Celebes 

 itself. Southward again, the chain of volcanic islands from Baly 

 to Timor appear to rise out of a deep ocean, the few soundings 

 we possess showing depths of from 670 to 1,300 fathoms almost 

 close to their northern shores. We seem justified, therefore, in 

 concluding that Celebes is entirely surrounded by a deep sea, 

 which has, however, become partially filled up by river deposits, 

 by volcanic upheaval, or by coral reefs. Such shallows, where 

 they exist, may therefore be due to antiquity and isolation, in- 

 stead of being indications of a former union with any of the 

 surrounding islands. 



Zoological character of the Islands around Celebes. — In order to 

 have a clear conception of the peculiar character of the Cele- 

 besian fauna, we must take into account that of the surrounding 

 countries from which we may suppose it to have received immi- 

 grants. These we may divide broadly into two groups, those 

 on the west belonging to the Oriental region of our zoological 

 geography, and those on the east belonging to the Australian 

 region. Of the first group Borneo is a typical representative ; and 

 from its proximity and the extent of its opposing coasts it is 

 the island which we should expect to show most resemblance to 

 Celebes. We have already seen that the fauna of Borneo is essen- 

 tially the same as that of Southern Asia, and that it is excessively 

 rich in all the Malayan types of mammalia and birds. Java and 

 Baly closely resemble Borneo in general character, though some- 

 what less rich and with several peculiar forms; while the 

 Philippine Islands, though very much poorer, and with a greater 

 amount of speciality, yet exhibit essentially the same character. 

 These islands, taken as a whole, may be described as having a 

 fauna almost identical with that of Southern Asia ; for no family 

 of mammalia is found in the one which is absent from the other, 

 and the same may be said, with very few and unimportant 

 exceptions, of the birds ; while hundreds of genera and of species 

 are common to both. 



