BIRDS COLLECTED RY DR. W. L. ABBOTP OX ITIE COAST 

 AND ISLANDS OF NORTH WP:ST SUxMATRA. 



By Charles W. Richmond, 



Assistant Curator, Division of Birds. 



The collection noticed in the following- pages was received l)y the 

 United States National Museum in July, 11)02, It consists of about 

 45U specimens, representing nearly 1-iO species, man}^ of which arc of 

 great interest, and was made by Dr. Abbott in the course of a five 

 months" cruise on the northwest coast of Sumatra. This untiring 

 traveler sailed from Singapore in the latter part of October, 1901, for 

 the purpose of visiting certain zoologically unexplored islands on the 

 west side of Sumatra. His first stopping place was Loh Sidoh Bay, a 

 few miles south of Acheen Head, where, owing to the unfriendliness 

 of the natives, work was carried on for a few days only (November 

 5-S). Simalur (Babi, Simalu, or Si Malu of some maps), a hilly and 

 well-wooded island about 55 miles in'length, was next visited. Here 

 several weeks (November 16, 1901-January 3, 1902) were very profit- 

 ably passed at various points (Telok Dalam, November IT-December 1; 

 Sibaboh Bay, December 8-17; Sigoeli River, December 19; Pulo Asu, 

 December 25-26; Pulo Siumat, December 27-30; and Labuan Badjau 

 Bay, January 1-3) on the Sumatran side. Early in January Dr. 

 A])bott sailed to Pulo Lasia and Pulo Babi, small islets h' ing 14 miles 

 southeast of Simalur, and separated from one another b}' a narrow 

 strait only 1:^ miles wide. Pulo Lasia is about 2A^ miles long by 2 

 miles wide, while Pulo Babi is even smaller. Both are uninhabited, 

 low, wooded islands (the ''Flat Islands" of some maps) of coral 

 formation. After a few days (January -l-l-l) spent here, the Banjak 

 Islands were visited. This group consists of Pulo Bangkaru (or Beng 

 Karu), Pulo Tuangku (or Tunangku), and about four unnamed islets. 

 Pulo Bangkaru, heavih^ forested, with an area of about 20 square miles, 

 was first visited (January 16-22), and later Pulo Tuangku (January 

 22-February 6), which is 17 miles long by about 5 miles wide. On 

 the latter, birds were found in abundance, both species and individuals 

 outnumbering those observed on Simalur. Man}' species additional 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXVI, No. 1318. 



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