NOTES ON BIRDS COLLECTED BY DR. W. L. ABBOTT ON 

 THE KARIMATA ISLANDS, OFF WEST BORNEO. 



By Harey C. Oberholser, 



Of the Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture. 



Karimata Island lies in Karimata Strait, some 60 miles west of the 

 coast of West Borneo, and about 140 kilometers (85 miles) northeast 

 of the island of Billiton. It is 18 kilometers (11 miles) long, east 

 and west, 11 kilometers (7 miles) wide, and its peak rises to an 

 altitude of between 600 and 900 meters (2,000 and 3,000 feet). 



Pulo Serutu, or Serutu Island, is but across a narrow channel and 

 southwest of Karimata Island. It is of smaller area — about 10 

 kilometers (G miles) long, east and west, and 3 kilometers (2 miles) 

 wide — and its highest point is about 425 meters (1,400 feet) above 

 sea level. These two islands, together with some neighboring islets, 

 are sometimes called the Karimata Islands. 



Dr. W. L. Abbott, in the course of his East Indian journeys, twice 

 visited Karimata Island — August 16 to September 4, 1904, and 

 October 4 to 7. 1908 — on one of these occasions touching also on 

 Pulo Serutu. Although most of his time was devoted to the collec- 

 tion of other objects, he succeeded in obtaining 11 specimens repre- 

 senting 10 species of birds, some of which prove to be of considerable 

 interest. Since there seems to be little or nothing known of the avian 

 life of Karimata Island, and since there is slight probability of Doc- 

 tor Abbott's returning there, it seems to be worth while to place on 

 record such information as is now available. 



Judging from the few species of birds in hand, which, of course, 

 are indicative only so far as they go, Karimata Island shows more 

 faunal affinitj^ to the Anamba and Natuna Islands of the South 

 China Sea, than to the neighboring coast of Borneo. Two species 

 are represented by subspecies identical with those of the Anamba 

 Islands; and one other by a subspecies apparently the same as that 

 of the Natuna Islands: while the Cyomis hanywnas found here is 

 apparently a well-marked endemic race. The other birds obtained 

 by Doctor Abbott belong to more or less wide-ranging forms. All 

 are catalogued below. 



No. 2512. — Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 64. Art. 22. 

 20183— 25— Proc.N.M.vol.G4 41 1 



