Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
XVIII
Natural History of Celebes
The position of Celebes is the most central in the Archipelago. Immediately to the north are
the Philippine islands; on the west is Borneo; on the east are the Molucca islands; and on the
south is the Timor group: and it is on all sides so connected with these islands by its own
satellites, by small islets, and by coral reefs, that neither by inspection on the map nor by ac-
tual observation around its coast, is it possible to determine accurately which should be
grouped with it, and which with the surrounding districts. Such being the case, we should nat-
urally expect to find, that the productions of this central island in some degree represented the
richness and variety of the whole Archipelago, while we should not expect much individual-
ity in a country, so situated, that it would seem as if it were pre-eminently fitted to receive
stragglers and immigrants from all around.
As so often happens in nature, however, the fact turns out to be just the reverse of what we
should have expected; and an examination of its animal productions, shows Celebes to be at
once the poorest in the number of its species, and the most isolated in the character of its pro-
ductions, of all the great islands in the Archipelago. With its attendant islets it spreads over
an extent of sea hardly inferior in length and breadth to that occupied by Borneo, while its ac-
tual land area is nearly double that of Java; yet its Mammalia and terrestrial birds number
scarcely more than half the species found in the last-named island. Its position is such that it
could receive immigrants from every side more readily than Java, yet in proportion to the
species which inhabit it far fewer seem derived from other islands, while far more are alto-
gether peculiar to it; and a considerable number of its animal forms are so remarkable, as to
find no close allies in any other part of the world. I now propose to examine the best known
groups of Celebesian animals in some detail, to study their relations to those of other islands,
and to call attention to the many points of interest which they suggest.
We know far more of the birds of Celebes than we do of any other group of animals. No
less than 191 species have been discovered, and though no doubt many more wading and
swimming birds have to be added, yet the list of land birds, 144 in number, and which for our
