It Is Probably The
Livistona Rotundifolia Of Botanists, And Is The Most Complete And
Beautiful Fan-Leaf I Have Ever Seen, Serving Admirably For Folding
Into Water-Buckets And Impromptu Baskets, As Well As For Thatching
And Other Purposes.
A few days afterwards I returned to Menado on horse-back, sending
my baggage around by sea; and had just time to pack up all my
collections to go by the next mail steamer to Amboyna.
I will now
devote a few pages to an account of the chief peculiarities of
the Zoology of Celebes, and its relation to that of the
surrounding countries.
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.
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