OCR Text |
Show 670 MR. H. J. ELWES ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL [June 17, Species belonging to genera common to the Himalayan and Malayan subregions 175 Species belonging to genera found in the Himalayan but not in the Malayan 30 Species belonging to genera found in Malayan but not in Himalayan 6 Species belonging to Indian genera 14 225 Species peculiar to the island 37 Species only found in Southern India 37 Wide-ranging species 68 Found either in India only or ranging to Malayana and China 83 225 Though the large number of birds peculiar to Ceylon shows that it has probably been separated for a long period, yet the resemblance of its avifauna to that of Southern India is so strong that it does not bear out Sir J. E. Tennent's belief that it originally formed part of a lost Malayan continent. Only four species belong to genera not found in S. India; and it is quite possible that, when the extreme south of the peninsula is better known, even these may be found. The occurrence of Arrenga is very remarkable ; for, as far as we know, the only other species referred to that genus is peculiar to the mountains of Java; and though nearly allied to Myiophonus, which is found in all the mountains of the Indian region, yet the generic distinction is sufficiently well marked. I will here mention some of the genera found in Ceylon which are remarkable on account of their distribution:- Genera found in Himalayas, but not in Malayana. Aquila. Larvivora. Nisaetus. Cyanecula. Buteo. Phylloscopus. Circus. Sylvia. Picus. Temenuchus. Brachypternus. Crocopus. Hemipus. Alsocomus. Cryptolopha=Myiolestes. Palumbus. Alseonax. Columba. Turdulus. Francolinus. Merula. Perdicula. Found in the Malayan but not in the Himalyan subregion. Batrachostomus. Prionochilus. Phcenicophceus. Arrenga. Nectarophila. Drymocataphus., |