按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
gant rows of large round white spots on the tail; rendering it very conspicuous and quite different from any other known bird of the family。 Three owls are also peculiar; and one; a barn owl (Strix rosenbergii); is very much larger and stronger than its ally Strix javanica; which ranges from India through all the islands as far as Lombock。
Of the ten Parrots found in Celebes; eight are peculiar。 Among them are two species of the singular raquet…tailed parrots forming the genus Prioniturus; and which are characterised by possessing two long spoon…shaped feathers in the tail。 Two allied species are found in the adjacent island of Mindanao; one of the Philippines; and this form of tail is found in no other parrots in the whole world。 A small species of Lorikeet (Trichoglossus flavoviridis) seems to have its nearest ally in Australia。
The three Woodpeckers which inhabit the island are all peculiar; and are allied to species found in Java and Borneo; although very different from them all。
Among the three peculiar Cuckoos; two are very remarkable。 Phoenicophaus callirhynchus is the largest and handsomest species of its genus; and is distinguished by the three colours of its beak; bright yellow; red; and black。 Eudynamis melanorynchus differs from all its allies in having a jet…black bill; whereas the other species of the genus always have it green; yellow; or reddish。
The Celebes Roller (Coracias temmincki) is an interesting example of one species of a genus being cut off from the rest。 There are species of Coracias in Europe; Asia; and Africa; but none in the Malay peninsula; Sumatra; Java; or Borneo。 The present species seems therefore quite out of place; and what is still more curious is the fact that it is not at all like any of the Asiatic species; but seems more to resemble those of Africa。
In the next family; the Bee…eaters; is another equally isolated bird; Meropogon forsteni; which combines the characters of African and Indian Bee…eaters; and whose only near ally; Meropogon breweri; was discovered by M。 Du Chaillu in West Africa!
The two Celebes Hornbills have no close allies in those which abound in the surrounding countries。 The only Thrush; Geocichla erythronota; is most nearly allied to a species peculiar to Timor。 Two of the Flycatchers are closely allied to Indian species; which are not found in the Malay islands。 Two genera somewhat allied to the Magpies (Streptocitta and Charitornis); but whose affinities are so doubtful that Professor Schlegel places them among the Starlings; are entirely confined to Celebes。 They are beautiful long…tailed birds; with black and white plumage; and with the feathers of the head somewhat rigid and scale…like。
Doubtfully allied to the Starlings are two other very isolated and beautiful birds。 One; Enodes erythrophrys; has ashy and yellow plumage; but is ornamented with broad stripes of orange… red above the eyes。 The other; Basilornis celebensis; is a blue… black bird with a white patch on each side of the breast; and the head ornamented with a beautiful compressed scaly crest of feathers; resembling in form that of the well…known Cock…of…the… rock of South America。 The only ally to this bird is found in Ceram; and has the feathers of the crest elongated upwards into quite a different form。
A still more curious bird is the Scissirostrum pagei; which although it is at present classed in the Starling family; differs from all other species in the form of the bill and nostrils; and seems most nearly allied in its general structure to the Ox… peckers (Buphaga) of tropical Africa; next to which the celebrated ornithologist Prince Bonaparte finally placed it。 It is almost entirely of a slatey colour; with yellow bill and feet; but the feathers of the rump and upper tail…coverts each terminate in a rigid; glossy pencil or tuft of a vivid crimson。 These pretty little birds take the place of the metallic…green starlings of the genus Calornis; which are found in most other islands of the Archipelago; but which are absent from Celebes。 They go in flocks; feeding upon grain and fruits; often frequenting dead trees; in holes of which they build their nests; and they cling to the trunks as easily as woodpeckers or creepers。
Out of eighteen Pigeons found in Celebes; eleven are peculiar to it。 Two of them; Ptilonopus gularis and Turacaena menadensis; have their nearest allies in Timor。 Two others; Carpophaga forsteni and Phlaegenas tristigmata; most resemble Philippine island species; and Carpophaga radiata belongs to a New Guinea group。 Lastly; in the Gallinaceous tribe; the curious helmeted Maleo (Megacephalon rubripes) is quite isolated; having its nearest (but still distant) allies in the Brush…turkeys of Australia and New Guinea。
Judging; therefore; by the opinions of the eminent naturalists who have described and classified its birds; we find that many of the species have no near allies whatsoever in the countries which surround Celebes; but are either quite isolated; or indicate relations with such distant regions as New Guinea; Australia; India; or Africa。 Other cases of similar remote affinities between the productions of distant countries no doubt exist; but in no spot upon the globe that I am yet acquainted with; do so many of them occur together; or do they form so decided a feature in the natural history of the country。
The Mammalia of Celebes are very few in number; consisting of fourteen terrestrial species and seven bats。 Of the former no less than eleven are peculiar; including two which there is reason to believe may have been recently carried into other islands by man。 Three species which have a tolerably wide range in the Archipelago; are: (1) The curious Lemur; Tarsius spectrum; which is found in all the islands as far westward as Malacca; (2) the common Malay Civet; Viverra tangalunga; which has a still wider range; and (3) a Deer; which seems to be the same as the Rusa hippelaphus of Java; and was probably introduced by man at an early period。
The more characteristic species are as follow:
Cynopithecus nigrescens; a curious baboon…like monkey if not a true baboon; which abounds all over Celebes; and is found nowhere else but in the one small island of Batchian; into which it has probably been introduced accidentally。 An allied species is found in the Philippines; but in no other island of the Archipelago is there anything resembling them。 These creatures are about the size of a spaniel; of a jet…black colour; and have the projecting dog…like muzzle and overhanging brows of the baboons。 They have large red callosities and a short fleshy tail; scarcely an inch long and hardly visible。 They go in large bands; living chiefly in the trees; but often descending on the ground and robbing gardens and orchards。
Anoa depressicornis; the Sapi…utan; or wild cow of the Malays; is an animal which has been the cause of much controversy; as to whether it should be classed as ox; buffalo; or antelope。 It is smaller than any other wild cattle; and in many respects seems to approach some of the ox…like antelopes of Africa。 It is found only in the mountains; and is said never to inhabit places where there are deer。 It is somewhat smaller than a small Highland co