Island Life Part 26

3. Nasalis larvatus.

4. Semnopithecus rubicundus.

5. " chrysomelas.

6. " frontatus.

7. " hosei. (Thomas.) Kini Balu.

CARNIVORA.

8. Herpestes semitorquatus.

9. Felis badia.

UNGULATA.

10. Sus barbatus.

RODENTIA.

11. Pteromys phaeomelas.

12. Sciurus jentinki. (Th.) Kini Balu.

13. Sciurus whiteheadi. (Th.) Kini Balu.

14. " everetti.

15. Rheithrosciurus macrotis.

16. Hystrix cra.s.sispinis.

17. Trichys guentheri.

18. Mus infraluteus. (Th.) Kini Balu.

19. " alticola. (Th.) Kini Balu.

INSECTIVORA.

20. Tupaia splendidula.

21. " minor.

22. " dorsalis.

23. Dendrogale murina.

CHIROPTERA.

24. Vesperugo stenopterus.

25. " doriae 26. Cynopterus brachyotus.

27. " lucasii.

28. " spadiceus.

29. Hipposideros doriae.

Of the twenty-nine peculiar species here enumerated it is possible that a few may be found to be identical with those of Malacca or Sumatra; but there are also four peculiar genera which are less likely to be discovered elsewhere. These are Nasalis, the remarkable long-nosed monkey; Rheithrosciurus, a peculiar form of squirrel; and Trichys, a tailless porcupine. These peculiar forms do not, however, imply that the separation of the island from the continent is of very ancient date, for the country is so vast and {377} so much of the once connecting land is covered with water, that the amount of speciality is hardly, if at all, greater than occurs in many continental areas of equal extent and remoteness. This will be more evident if we consider that Borneo is as large as the Indo-Chinese Peninsula, or as the Indian Peninsula south of Bombay, and if either of these countries were separated from the continent by the submergence of the whole area north of them as far as the Himalayas, they would be found to contain quite as many peculiar genera and species as Borneo actually does now. A more decisive test of the lapse of time since the separation took place is to be found in the presence of a number of representative species closely allied to those of the surrounding countries, such as the tailed monkeys and the numerous squirrels. These relations.h.i.+ps, however, are best seen among the birds, which have been more thoroughly collected and more carefully studied than the mammalia.

_Birds._--About 580 species of birds are now known to inhabit Borneo, of which 420 species are land-birds.[88] One hundred and eight species are supposed to be peculiar to the island, and of these one half have been noted, either by Count Salvadori or Mr. Everett, as being either representative species of, or closely allied to birds inhabiting other islands or countries. The majority of these are, as might be expected, allied to species inhabiting the surrounding countries, especially Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, or Java, a smaller number having their representative forms in the Philippine Islands or Celebes. But there is another group of eight species whose nearest allies are found in such remote lands as Ceylon, North India, Burma, or China. These last have been indicated in the following list by a double star (**) while those which are representative of forms found in the immediately surrounding area, and are in many cases very slightly differentiated from their allies, are indicated by a single star (*). {378}

LIST OF BIRDS WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PECULIAR TO BORNEO.

t.u.r.dIDae (Thrushes).

1. **Cettia oreophila.

2. *Merula seebohmi.

3. **Geocichla aurata.

4. **Myiophoneus borneensis.

5. Brachypteryx erythrogyna.

6. Copsychus niger.

7. *Cittocincla suavis.

8. * ,, stricklandi.

9. *Henicurus borneensis.

10. *Phyllergates cinereicollis.

11. Burnesia superciliaris.

TIMELIIDae (Babbling Thrushes).

12. *Garrulax schistochlamys.

13. Rhinocichla treacheri.

14. Allocotops calvus.

15. **Stachyris borneensis.

16. Cyanoderma bicolor.

17. Chlorocharis aemiliae.

18. Androphilus accentor.

19. Malacopterum cinereocapillum.

20. **Staphidia everetti.

21. *Herporius brunnescens.

22. *Mixornis borneensis.

23. * ,, montana.

24. *t.u.r.dinus canicapillus.

25. ,, atrigularis.

26. *Drymocataphus capistratoides.

27. Ptilophaga rufiventris.

28. ,, leucogrammica.

29. *Corythocichla cra.s.sa.

30. *t.u.r.dinulus exsul.

31. Orinthocichla whiteheadi.

BRACHYPODIDae (Bulbuls).

32. *Hemixus connectens.

33. Criniger diardi.

34. * ,, ruficrissus.

35. Tricophoropsis typus.

36. Oreostictes leucops.

37. Rubigula montis.

38. * ,, paroticalis.

39. Chloropsis kinabaluensis.

40. * ,, irridinucha.

ORIOLIDae (Orioles).

41. Oriolus consobrinus.

42. *Oriolus vulneratus.

PARIDae (t.i.ts).

43. Parus sarawakensis.