CELEBES 
287 
eater (Meropogon) ; three remarkable genera of starlings 
(. Basilornis , JEnodes , and Scissirostrum) ; two peculiar 
magpies ( Streptocitta and Charitornis ); and an anomalous 
kingfisher ( Ceycopsis ), have none of them any near allies 
in the archipelago, and are only remotely connected 
with groups now inhabiting the Asiatic or African con¬ 
tinents. They appear, in fact, to be remnants of the 
Miocene fauna, at a period when the ancestors of all the 
chief types of both the temperate and tropical zones of 
the Eastern hemisphere were to be found in the Euro- 
Asiatic continent. The peculiarities of the animal life of 
Celebes may be best explained by supposing it to be an 
outlying portion of that Miocene continent, which became 
detached from it, and has since never been actually 
joined to any Asiatic or Australian land. It has thus 
preserved to us some descendants of ancient types, and 
these have become intermingled with such immigrants 
from both east and west as were enabled to establish 
themselves in competition with the ancient inhabitants. 
To the naturalist, therefore, Celebes is an island of ex¬ 
treme interest. It cannot be said to belong either to the 
eastern or the western divisions of the archipelago, but 
to stand almost exactly midway between them; the relic 
of a more ancient land, and dating from a period perhaps 
anterior to the separate existence of any of the islands. 
The insects, although less perfectly known, offer 
analogous peculiarities to those presented by the higher 
animals. They are isolated alike from those of the Sunda 
Islands and the Moluccas, and present certain specialities 
of form and coloration not found elsewhere. The details 
are of too technical a nature to find a place here, but 
they are such as fully to confirm the general conclusion 
we have arrived at, as to the long-continued isolation of 
this remarkable country. 
