CTTAP. XII.] 
THE ORIENTAL REGION. 
355 
would alone enable us to trace. Should we ever arrive at a 
fair knowledge of the physical changes that have resulted in 
the present condition, we shall almost certainly find that many 
of the differences and anomalies of their existing fauna and 
flora will be accounted for. 
In Birds we hardly find anything to differentiate Borneo and 
Sumatra in any clear manner. Pityriasis and Carpococcyx, once 
thought peculiar to the former, are now found also in the latter; 
and we have not a single genus left to characterize Borneo except 
Schwaneria a peculiar fly-catcher, and Indicator , an A fi ican and 
Indian group not known to occur elsewhere in the Malay 
sub-region. Sumatra as yet alone possesses Psilopogon, a remark- 
able form of barbet, but we may well expect that it will be soon 
found in the interior of Borneo or Malacca ; it also has Bereni - 
c&rnis, an African form of hornbill. The Malay Peninsula 
appears to have no genus peculiar to it, but it possesses 
some Chinese and Indian forms which do not pass into the 
islands. As to the species, our knowledge of them is at present 
very imperfect. The Malay Peninsula is perhaps the best 
known, but it is probable that both Sumatra and Borneo are 
quite as rich in species. With the exception of the genera 
noted above, and two or three others as yet found in two islands 
only, the three districts we are now considering may be said to 
have an almost identical bird-fauna, consisting largely of the 
same species and almost wholly of these together with closely 
allied species of the same genera. There are no well-marked 
groups which especially characterise one of these islands rather 
than the other, so that even the amount of speciality which 
Borneo undoubtedly exhibits as regards mammalia, is only 
faintly shown by its birds. The Pittidse may perhaps be named 
as the most characteristic Bornean group, that island possessing 
six species, three of which are peculiar to it and are among the 
most beautiful birds of an unusually beautiful family. Yet Suma- 
tra possesses two peculiar, and hardly less remarkable species. 
In other classes of vertebrates, in insects, and in land-shells, 
our knowledge is far too imperfect to allow of our making any 
useful comparison between the faunas. 
A A 2 
