536 MR H. PRYER ON THE [NOV. 18, 



they must undoubtedly possess wonderful powers of sight to fly about 

 in the dark in the deepest recesses of their caves and to return to their 

 nests, often built in places where no light ever penetrates. 



Shortly before sundown a pair of Kites made their appearance, and, 

 taking their station over the Bat-chasm, would every now and then 

 clumsily swoop down into the thick of the Bats, generally securing a 

 victim every time. 1 shot both these marauders, which proved to 

 be Haliaster indus, a very beautiful but common bird. There were 

 also several specimens of a Hawk working away on the Bats in a very 

 business-like manner, and woe betide the unfortunate bat singled out 

 from its flock and put in chase. The way these Hawks took the 

 Bats one after the other was astonishing, and strongly reminded me 

 of a man eating oysters. I shot several of these Hawks, but only 

 secured one, the others being lost over the side of the cliff. It 

 proved to be the rare Machirhamphus alcinns, remarkable for the 

 size of its gape and its small beak, both of which very much resemble 

 those of the Swift. Its habits in taking its prey are also similar, 

 the Swift catching and swallowing its food while on the wing in the 

 same way this Hawk does. 



Arising before daylight, I witnessed a reversal of the proceedings 

 of the previous night, the Swifts now going out of Simud Putih and 

 the Bats going into Simud Itam. The latter literally "rained" into 

 their chasm for two hours after daylight. On looking up, the air 

 seemed filled with small specks, which flashed down perpendicularly 

 with great rapidity and disappeared in the darkness below. 



Several examples of Machirhamphus alcinus put in an appearance, 

 hawking after the Swifts, which they had rarely attempted to take 

 the night before, and generally then without success. Their plan 

 now was to swoop down from behind into the stream of birds issuing 

 from the mouth of Simud Putih, generally carrying off a bird each 

 three times they attempted to do so. 



I secured many specimens of the Bat, and found them to be all of 

 one species ; the caudal membrane extends only half down the tail, 

 which is free for half an inch, giving the animal very much the 

 appearance of a mouse when the wings are folded. The wings are 

 very long and narrow, and it is a very swift flyer. I noticed a few 

 specimens of a Swallow resembling Hirundo rustica, and also some 

 very large Bats at the mouth of the cave. 



After breakfast I started for the summit of the cliff; the path, 

 which is barely two feet wide, in many places overhangs the Bat- 

 chasm, the bottom of which is lost in darkness 600 feet below. 

 The summit at 900 feet is reached : here was a most lovely view : — to 

 the east is a large plain, in the early morning covered with mist 

 resembling a vast sheet of water ; this is no doubt the origin of the 

 mythical lake of Kina Balu, which only exists in the imagination of 

 the map-makers. In every direction except the north extended 

 miles upon miles of forest, broken here and there by mountain-tops. 

 Unfortunately Kina Balu, the highest mountain in Malayasia, was 

 hidden by clouds. To the north I could trace the whole of Sanda- 

 kan Bay and the open sea beyond. I was much surprised to find 



