CHAP. XVII.] 
THE PHILIPPINES. 
361 
The Philippine Islands. — A sufficiently detailed account of tlio 
fauna of these islands, and their relation to the countries which 
•form the subject of this chapter, has been given in my Geo- 
graphical Distribution of Animals., Yol. I. pp. 345-349 ; but since 
that time considerable additions have been made to their fauna, 
and these have had the effect of diminishing their isolation from 
the other islands. Six genera have been added to the terrestrial 
mammalia — Crocidura, Felis, Tragulus, Hystrix, Pteromys, and 
Mus, as well as two additional squirrels ; while the black ape 
{Cynopithecus niger) has been struck out as not inhabiting the 
Philippines. This brings the known mammalia to twenty-one 
species, and no doubt several others remain to he discovered. 
The birds have been increased from 219 to 288 species, and the 
additions include many Malayan genera which were thought to be 
absent. Such are Phyllornis (green bulbuls); Eurylsemus (gaper), 
Malacopteron, one of the babblers ; and Criniger, one of the fruit- 
thrushes; as well as Batrachostomus, the frog-mouthed goat- 
sucker. There still remain, however, a large number of Malayan 
genera absent from the Philippines, while there are a few 
Australian and Indian or Chinese genera which are not Malayan. 
We must also note that about nine-tenths of the mammalia and 
two-thirds of the land-birds are peculiar species, a very much 
larger proportion than is found on any other Malay island. 
The origin of these peculiarities is not difficult to trace. The 
Philippines are almost surrounded by deep sea, but are connected 
with Borneo by means of two narrow submarine banks, on the 
northern of which is situated Palawan, and on the southern the 
Sooloo Islands. Two small groups of islands, the Bashees and 
Babuyanes, have also afforded a partial connection with the 
continent*by way of Formosa. It is evident that the Philippines 
once formed part of the great Malayan extension of Asia, but 
that they were separated considerably earlier than Java ; and 
having been since greatly isolated and much broken up by 
volcanic disturbances, their species have for the most part 
become modified into distinct local species. They have also 
received a few Chinese types by the route already indicated, 
and a few Australian forms owing to their proximity to the 
Moluccas. The reason of their comparative poverty in genera 
