CHAP. XII.] 
THE ORIENTAL REGION. 
341) 
once existed for immigration from Southern China, perhaps by 
a land connection through Formosa, at which time the ancestors 
of the peculiar forms of deer entered the country. It may in- 
deed he objected that our knowledge of these islands is far 
too imperfect to arrive at any satisfactory conclusions as to their 
former history ; but although many more species no doubt 
remain to be discovered, experience shows that the broad cha- 
racters of a fauna are always determined by a series of collections 
made by different persons, at various localities, and at different 
times, even when more imperfect than those of the Philippine 
birds really are. The isolated position, and the volcanic struc- 
ture of the group, would lead us to expect them to be somewhat 
less productive than the Moluccas, close to the rich and varied 
Papuan district, — or than Celebes, with its numerous indications 
of an extensive area and great antiquity; and taking iuto account 
the excessive poverty of its mammalian fauna, which is certain 
to be pretty well known, I am inclined to believe that no future 
discoveries will materially alter the character of Philippine 
ornithology, as determined from the materials already at our 
command. 
Java . — Following the same plan as we have adopted in first 
discussing the Philippine islands, and separating them from the 
body of the sub-region on account of special peculiarities, we 
must next take Java, as possessing marked individuality, and as 
being to some extent more isolated in its productions than the 
remaining great islands. 
Java is well supplied with indigenous mammalia, possessing 
as nearly as can be ascertained 55 genera and 90 species. None 
of these genera are peculiar, and only about 5 of the species, 
— 3 quadrumana, a deer and a wild pig. So far then there is 
nothing remarkable in its fauna, but on comparing it with that of 
the other great islands, viz., Borneo and Sumatra, and the Malay 
peninsula, we find an unmistakable deficiency of characteristic 
forms, the same in kind as that we. have just commented on in 
the case of the Philippines, though much less in degree. First, 
taking genera which are found in all three of the above-named 
