On the phenomena of variation and geographical distribution as illustrated by the Papilionidæ of the Malayan regionWallace, Alfred Russel
Science
On the phenomena of variation and geographical distribution as illustrated by the Papilionidæ of the Malayan region
Wallace, Alfred Russel
Papilionidae -- Malaysia -- Geographical distribution; Papilionidae -- Malaysia -- Variation
Briefly to summarize these peculiarities, Celebes possesses three genera
of mammals (out of the very small number which inhabit it) which are of
singular and isolated forms, viz., _Cynopithecus_, a tailless Ape allied
to the Baboons; _Anoa_, a straight-horned Antelope of obscure
affinities, but quite unlike anything else in the whole archipelago or
in India; and _Babirusa_, an altogether abnormal wild Pig. With a rather
limited bird population, Celebes has an immense preponderance of species
confined to it, and has also five remarkable genera (_Meropogon_,
_Streptocitta_, _Enodes_, _Scissirostrum_, and _Megacephalon_) entirely
restricted to its narrow limits, as well as two others (_Prioniturus_
and _Basilornis_) which only range to a single island beyond it.
Mr. Smith’s elaborate tables of the distribution of Malayan Hymenoptera
(see ‘Proc. Linn. Soc.’ Zool. vol. vii.) show that, out of the large
number of 301 species collected in Celebes, 190 (or nearly two-thirds)
were absolutely restricted to it, although Borneo, on one side, and the
various islands of the Moluccas on the other, were equally well explored
by me; and no less than twelve of the genera are not found in any other
island of the archipelago. I have just shown in the present paper that,
in the Papilionidæ, it has far more species of its own than any other
island, and a greater proportion of peculiar species than many of the
large groups of islands in the archipelago—and that it gives to a large
number of the species and varieties which inhabit it, 1st, an increase
of size, and, 2nd, a peculiar modification in the form of the wings,
which stamp upon the most dissimilar insects a mark distinctive of their
common birth-place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account