THE MOLUCCAS 
O-IO 
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the chain of islands east of it. The former shows a 
closer relation with New Guinea than does the latter 
group. Thus it exhibits seven species of the markedly 
Papuan genus, Papuina, as against one in the southern 
group. Again we find certain distinct points of con¬ 
nection with Celebes in the latter, which do not exist in 
the other. No distinct Australian influence is noticeable, 
although in the Ke Islands the one Limncea and two out 
of the four species of Isidora are common to North 
Australia. 
Equally splendid as the birds are the insects of these 
islands, which in some particulars surpass those of any 
other part of the world. Here are butterflies of the 
largest size and most vivid colours—some of the most 
intense metallic blue, as Papilio ulysses , or the richest 
silky green, as Ornithoptera pricimus; while others 
exhibit golden yellow or the most vivid crimson hues, 
displayed in an endless variety of patterns on a velvety 
black ground. The beetles also are remarkable for size 
or beauty, the wonderful long-armed beetle of Amboina 
(.Euchirus longimanus ) being one of the giants of the 
insect world. 
3. Inhabitants. 
In the Moluccas at least three native races encounter 
each other and intermingle—the Malays, the Papuans, 
and the Indonesians or pre-Malays; and with the very 
imperfect knowledge we at present possess it is not always 
easy to disentangle the one from the other, or to determine 
which are pure races and which the results of a more or 
less complex intermixture. People of Malay race and 
Mohammedans in religion inhabit the small islands of 
Ternate and Tidor, each under a native sultan, whose 
rule extends over a number of adjacent islands. They 
