chap, xin.] 
THE AUSTRALIAN REGION. 
433 
gascar bird, and with Biiphaga, an African genus ; but the pecu- 
liar beak aud nostrils approximate more to Gracticus and its 
allies, of the Australian region, which should probably form a 
distinct family. Ceycopsis is undoubtedly intermediate between 
the Malayan Ceyx and the African Ispidina, and is therefore es- 
pecially interesting. Meropogon is a remarkable form of bee- 
eater, allied to the Indo-Malayan Nyctiornis. Prioniturus (the 
raq net-tailed parrots) of which two species inhabit Celebes, and 
one the Philippines, appears to be allied to the Austro-Malayan 
Geoffroyus . 
We must finally notice a few genera found in Celebes, whose 
nearest allies are not in the surrounding islands, aud which thus 
afford illustrations of discontinuous distribution. The most re- 
markable, perhaps, is Coracias , of which a fine species inhabits 
Celebes ; while the genus is quite unknown in the Indo-Malay 
sub-region, and does not appear again till we reach Burmah and 
India ; and the species has no closer affinity for Indian than for 
African forms. Myialestes , a small yellow flycatcher, is another 
exmple; its nearest ally (M. cinercocapilla ) being a common Indian 
bird, but unknown in the Malay islands. The Celebesian bird 
described by me as PHonochihts aureolimbatus , is probably a 
third case of discontinuous distribution, if (as a more careful 
examination seems to show) it is not a Prionochilus , but con- 
generic with Packyglossa, a bird only found in the Himalayas. 
The fine pigeon, Carpophaga forste/ii, belongs to a group found in 
the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand ; but the Celebes 
species is very distinct from all the others, and seems, if any- 
thing, more allied to that of New Zealand, 
The Sula islands (Sula-mangola, Sula-taliabo, and Sula-besi) 
lie midway between Celebes and the Moluccas, being 80 miles 
from the nearest part of Celebes, with several intervening 
islands, and 40 miles from Bouru, all open sea. Their birds 
show, as might be expected, a blending of the two faunas, but 
with a decided preponderance of that of Celebes. Out of 43 
land birds which have been collected in these islands, we may 
deduct G as of wide range and no significance. Of the 37 re- 
maining, 21 are Celebesian species, and 4 are new species but 
F F 
