( 468 ) 



The largest of the Natnna group, (ireat Xatniia, or jjroperly Biinguran. extenils 

 from 3 38A' to 4° 16i' N. Cape Datto, the north extreme of the island, is in long. 

 108° ir E., and Cape Sennbing, the east extreme, in long. 108° 2U' E., its breadth 

 being about '2."> miles. 



This island is largehj clothed with heavij forest. The interior is mostly high, 

 and in the northern ])art are two mountains of considerable elevation. Mount Bcdoiig 

 or Quoin Hill, and Mount Ranai, the latter being I8'.iu feet high. The greater part 

 of the coasts of Bunguran are fronted by reefs and islets, making the apj)roach more 

 or less dangerous to vessels, all the more so as they are but incompletely surveyed. 

 Bunguran is inhabited by Malays. 



The North Natunas are of moderate height, produce cocoanuts and some other 

 fruits, and are inhabited by Malays. The smaller islands are rocky and sterile. 

 The name " Xatuna Islands," given by the Euro]ieans to these groups, is entirely 

 unknown to the ^Malays. 



The following extracts from a letter of Mr. Everett I believe to be of great 

 interest, considering the importance of the field-observer's opinion : — 



" I was absent from Labuau sixty-four days, out of which I got only twenty-five 

 working days, of which fourteen days were rainy. Although I left Labuau on 

 September 2nd, I did not reach Bunguran until September 20th, owing to breakdown 

 of the steamer chartered, and to foul weather encountered in the native schooner 

 subsenueutly. In consequence of the shortness of the time spent on shore of tiie 

 islands, and the continual storms of wind and rain ushering in the commencement of 

 the rainy season, my collection is small, though fair enough for the number of actual 

 working days. There is a considerable number of mammals on Bunguran. You 

 will find among the CDlleetion a MylfiKs, S'mnopithccus, Galcopithecus, Tupaia, 

 Sifiirri'ls, Ruts and Bats, Traguliis. There is also a Manis which I did not get, 

 another Traguliis, one or two small Carnivora, probably some more Rodents, and 

 perhaps another Tupaia, which I did not procure. The Deer have been introduced 

 from Dutch Borneo. 



"I was much disap])ointed with the birds, which ajjpear to differ bnt little from 

 those found on the Mahiy Peninsula, though there may be ftiund more peculiarity when 

 they come to be actually compared with a series of the latter. There must be a 

 great number of species, however, which I did not meet with, as the islandis largehj 

 clothed with heary forest. Therefor(> there remains jilenty of work to be done. 



" I did not once on tlie islands hear tlie note of a I'urbet {Megalru'ina). The only 

 Pitta obtained is the common F. cganoptera. i could hear of no such bird as a 

 pheasant or partridge. My station was at the foot of Mount Ranai (1890 feet), on 

 which such birds would be found if they existed. Neither in the North nor in tlie 

 SoiUh Natunas are any Megapodes found. 



" The Northern Natunas will, zoologically, have to be grouped with the Malay 

 Peninsula, I think ; the Southern seem to belong, /.oologically, to Borneo. Con- 

 sidering liow closely they aj)proach each other and the extreme shallowness of the 

 intervening sea, it seems remarkable that there should be a well-defined line of 

 demarcation between the faunas of the two groups. The presence of the genera 

 Mydaus and Manis (both of wliich seem to be absent from Sirhassen) on Bunguran 

 seems to prove its continental character." 

 (See conclusions on p. 4^3.) 



