CHAPTER 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 actual 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 naturally
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 individuality 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 productions, 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 actual 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 altogether 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 present purpose are much the most
important, must be very nearly complete. I myself assiduously collected birds in