The countries of the world : being a popular description of the various continents, islands, rivers, seas, and peoples of the globe . rich display of birds. At present the islands of the group have species—and the entire avifauna is doubtless not yet known—the species being to a greatextent also those of New Guinea. Especially are the islands rich in parrots and kingfishers,twenty-two species of the one family and sixteen of the other being found. The mound-building brush turkeys, or Miir/npofUi, are among the other remarkable birds of theseislands, one of these [Megapoilins Wnllac
The countries of the world : being a popular description of the various continents, islands, rivers, seas, and peoples of the globe . rich display of birds. At present the islands of the group have species—and the entire avifauna is doubtless not yet known—the species being to a greatextent also those of New Guinea. Especially are the islands rich in parrots and kingfishers,twenty-two species of the one family and sixteen of the other being found. The mound-building brush turkeys, or Miir/npofUi, are among the other remarkable birds of theseislands, one of these [Megapoilins Wnllacei), discovered bj- the distinguished naturalistafter whom it is named, being peculiar to Gilolo, Ternate, and Bouro. The great helmetedcassowary, long the only species known, is an inhabitant of Ceram alone; while the beetles, * This industry is dcscrihcil in Kacos of JFnnkind, Vol. pp. 13-1-135. THE MALAY : TIIH MOLUCCAS. 249 butterflies, and otlior insects of the Mohiccas arc li<^ion, and of tlie most pforgeous Imesand ciuious description. Like the birds, they have a decided aihnity to those of New. MALK AM> i AKGls IMKA^ANI itii~r Guinea. Owing, writes Mr. Wallace, to the great preponderance among biixls ofparrots, pigeons, kingfishers, and sunbirds, almost all of gay or delicate colours, and manyadorned with the most gorgeous plumage, and to the numbers of very large and showy152 250 THE COUNTRIES OF THE WOELD. butterflies which are almost everywhere to be met with, the forests of the Moluccasoffer to the naturalist a very striking example of the luxuriance of life in the the almost entire absence of mammalia, and of such widespread groups of birds aswoodpeckers, thrushes, jays, tits, and i)heasants, must convince him that he is in a partof the world which has in reality but little in common with the great Asiatic coutineut,allhouirh an unbroken chain of islands seems to link them to it. Celebes. Celebes is an island containi
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