The Very Few Land Shells Known Are All,
Curiously Enough, Allied To Or Identical With Moluccan Or Celebes
Forms.
The Pieridae (white and yellow butterflies) which wander more,
and from frequenting open grounds, are more liable to be blown out to
sea, seem about equally related to those of Java, Australia, and the
Moluccas.
It has been objected to in Mr. Darwin's theory, of Oceanic Islands
having never been connected with the mainland, that this would imply
that their animal population was a matter of chance; it has been
termed the "flotsam and jetsam theory," and it has been maintained
that nature does not work by the "chapter of accidents." But in the
case which I have here described, we have the most positive evidence
that such has been the mode of peopling the islands. Their
productions are of that miscellaneous character which we should
expect front such an origin; and to suppose that they have been
portions of Australia or of Java will introduce perfectly gratuitous
difficulties, and render it quite impossible to explain those curious
relations which the best known group of animals (the birds) have been
shown to exhibit. On the other hand, the depth of the surrounding
seas, the form of the submerged banks, and the volcanic character of
most of the islands, all point to an independent origin.
Before concluding, I must make one remark to avoid misapprehension.
When I say that Timor has never formed part of Australia, I refer only
to recent geological epochs.
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