THE BIRDS OF BAWEAN ISLAND, JAVA SEA. 



By Harry C. Oberholser, 



Of the Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture. 



Bawean Island lies in the Java Sea, about 175 miles south of Borneo, 

 and about 75 miles north of eastern Java. It is nearly square, some 

 11 miles long by 10 miles wide, and has an area of approximately 100 

 square miles. The surface is mountainous, and the highest point 

 reaches an altitude of about 2,200 feet above sea level. The island is 

 of volcanic origm and has still many volcanic cones and some hot 

 springs. Its rocks are chiefly lava, basalt, and limestone; and exten- 

 sive coral reefs fringe its coastal base. A lake of some 15 acres occu- 

 pies the crater of Mount Telaga, an extinct volcano. 



The island supports a hmnan population of about 50,000, mostly 

 near the coast, and these inhabitants speak a peculiar language. 

 Little of the vu'gin forest remains: the largest tract is on the northern 

 slope of the mountains in the center of the island; another area lies on 

 the western coast ; and the rest comprises only a few small patches on 

 the eastern and southern slopes of the mountains. Low brush and 

 tall bamboos cover most of the remaining portions of the island. 

 There are numerous cattle on Bawean, and their trails run everywhere 

 through the scrub. Wild mammals, except for two or three species, 

 chiefly pigs and flying foxes, are not numerous. 



Dr. W. L. Abbott visited Bawean Island from November 19 to 28, 

 1907, and made a collection of 35 spechuens of birds, which he pre- 

 sented to the United States National Museum. This collection, 

 though small, is of much interest, since 7 of the 15 species represented 

 prove to belong to undescribed forms, most of them, so far as known, 

 confined to this island. 



Previous to Doctor Abbott's visit, knowledge of the birds of Ba- 

 wean Island came chiefly from a short article by Dr. A. G. Vorderman,^ 

 in which he records 18 species, mostly from specimens collected. 

 Doctor Abbott found birds very scarce, but his collection adds 8 

 species to the list, making a total of 26 now known to inhabit this 



1 Natuurk. Tijds. Nederlandsch-Indle, vol. 51, 1892, pp. 417-422. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 52— No. 2175. 



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