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Show 334 VISCOUNT WALDEN ON THE BIRDS OF CELEBES. [May 2, origin, all the five genera of Psittaci known in Celebes are either Australian or peculiar. The Columbce while imparting a decided, it may even be affirmed an absolute, Australian character to the Celebean avifauna, as clearly indicate a very close Philippine affinity. " Among the Gallinee, Gallus and Megapodius are severally representatives of equally important typical families, characterizing one the Indian, the other the Australian region. But Celebes and the Philippines * are the only areas where representatives of the Phasi-anidce and Megapodidee are associated. "Among the Picariee, the presence of Scythrops can hardly be deemed sufficient to balance the two genera of Picidee, more especially if Scythrops be migratory in Celebes, as in Australia. But though three of the genera belonging to the Alcedinidce are Indian, yet the great richness of the family in Celebes forms an important element in favour of the Australian nature of the Celebean ornis. " But to obtain a still more complete conception of the zoogeographical characters of Celebean ornithology, the following tables have been prepared, showing the principal Indian and Australian genera that do not occur in the island. " Notwithstanding the great preponderance of Indian genera, some entire families, and a large number of genera characteristic of, if not altogether peculiar to, the Indian regions are wanting in Celebes. For instance, the following important families are without representation:- Sittidce. Paridce. Laniidce. Troyonidce. Brachypodidee. Alaudidee. Megalaimidee. Pycnonotidee. "And the great families of the Picidee and Timaliidee are but poorly indicated-the first by two genera, the last by but a single genus. Among the Grallce and Anseres, the Otididce, Cursoridcr, Glareolidee and Gruidee, and the Phcenicopteridce, all families having representation in the Indian region, appear to be unknown in Celebes. The absence of the Vulturidce is a feature in common with the whole Indo-Malayan region. The number of Anatidee and Laridce recorded from Celebes is so small that it seems probable that members of those families have been overlooked by collectors. "After excluding from the list of genera found in the Indian region all those that do not likewise form an Indo-Malayan habitat, at least eighty-eight Indian genera are absent from Celebes ; of these twelve are purely Indo-Malayan. " TABLE V.- Showing the principal Indian genera which are wanting in Celebes.-N.B. Purely Indo-Malayan genera are marked with a dagger. lerax. Bulaca. Batrachostomus. Ketupa. Phodilus. -\Eurylaimus. * It is as yet uncertain whether the Philippine Gallus inhabits the same islands as the Philippine Meyapodii. Gallus is only known for certain to occur in Luzon. |