OCR Text |
Show 668 MR. H. J. ELWES ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL [June 17, have been expected, viz. that the number of peculiar species is not so large as in Formosa, and that the Himalayan element, though still decidedly strong, is not so marked as in that island. No doubt in the mountains of the interior (which rise to a height of 7000 feet) many unknown birds of Himalayan affinities are found; for as in the fourteen days that Mr. Swinhoe spent among them a large proportion of new species were procured, any one who has had experience of collecting in tropical forests will know that a good many more must have escaped his gun. The following species, only hitherto found in Formosa, also occur in Hainan :-Picus kale ensis, Graucalus rexpineti, Psaropholus ardens. The following common Indo-Malayan genera occur in Hainan, but are wanting in Formosa-A^thopyga, Arachnechthra, Dicceum, Micropternus, Palceornis, Zanclostomus, Centropus, Artamus, Macropygia, Carpophaga; whilst the following, found in Formosa, are absent in Hainan (all, it will be observed, of Palaearctic or Himalayan type, except the last two, which very possibly exist in Hainan also)- Myiophonus, Sibia, Alcippe, Myiomela, Chaptia, Suya, Sitta, Urocissa, Garrulus, Palumbus, Horeites, Bulaca, Cinclus, Phasianus, Ampelis, Gecinus, Pitta, Euplocamus. An examination of tbe list of birds collected in Hainan by Mr. Swinhoe ('Ibis,' 1870) shows 130 species, belonging to 96 genera, of which 86 genera, or 89 per cent., are also found in the Malayan subregion, and all but three (namely, Xanthopygia, Cyanoptila, and Leucodiopteron) in the Himalaya. 54 species belong to genera of very wide distribution ; 59 species belong to genera characteristic of the Indo-Malay region; 16 species belong to genera characteristic of the Palaeartic region. The following species are peculiar to Hainan:- Cypselus tinus allied to C. batassiensis. Micropternus holroydi .... „ M.fokiensis. Megaleema faber „ M. nuchalis. JEthopyya christinee. Arachnechthra rhizophorce „ A. flammaxillaris. Dicceum minullum. Volvocivora saturata „ V. lugubris. Buchanga innexa „ B. leucogenys. Garrulax monachus Pomatorhiuus nigrostellatus „ P. stridulus. Hypsipetes perniger „ H. nigerrimus. Hemixus castanonotus .... „ H. flavala. Criniger pallidus „ C. flaveolus. Ixus hainanus „ I. sinensis. Phyllornis lazulina „ P. hardwickii. Herpornis tyrannulus .... ,, H. xantholeuca. Osmotreron domvillei „ O. bicincta. |