BIRDS FEOM THE SMALL ISLANDS OFF THE NORTH- 

 EAST COAST OF DUTCH BORNEO 



By J. H. Riley 



Assistant Curator, Division of Birds, United States National Museum 



Mr. Harry C. Raven, working under the support of Dr. W. L. 

 Abbott for the United States National Museum, visited Dutch north- 

 east Borneo in 1912. After collecting on the mainland in the vicinity 

 of Samarinda from the latter part of May until early July, he sailed 

 north with some Sulu natives to Pulo Derawan. On the first trip 

 they stopped only at the islands of Kaniungan Besar, Derawan, and 

 Maratua: on the latter for the night only. Upon arrival at Dera- 

 wan, Raven purchased a native prahu and secured a native crew. 

 With them he visited much of the neighboring coast as well as the 

 following islands: Derawan, Pandjang, Raboe Raboe, Maratua, 

 Bakungan, Samama, Sangalaki, Bilang Bilangan, Mataha, Balik 

 Kukup, Marimbora, Eraban, Kaniungan Besar, and Kaniungan 

 Ketjil. 



Mr. Raven has sent me the following notes upon the islands 

 visited : 



Derawan lies just nine nautical miles east of Tandjong Batoe, v/hich is a 

 long, low point on the mainland of Borneo just north of the Baraoe River. 

 Derawan is a low, sandy island about half a mile in its greatest diameter and 

 is entirely planted with coconuts, most of which were bearing. It has a greater 

 population than any of the other small islands off this part of the Bornean 

 coast. The population consists of Sulu natives and Badjaoe, or seafaring 

 Malay fishermen, in about equal numbers and three or four Chinese traders. 



Pulo Pandjang is much larger than Derawan and is seven nautical miles 

 from the nearest point on the coast. It lies eight miles northeast of Tandjong 

 Batoe and four and one-quarter miles northwest of Derawan. It is two and 

 one-half miles in length by about a mile in width and was owned by a French- 

 man, who had cleared all the forests in order to plant coconuts. In some 

 places along the shore there still remains a fringe of mangroves. The surface 

 of the island is slightly undulating, though the altitude above high tide is 

 probably nowhere more than 30 feet. The only inhabitants were natives from 

 Derawan and the mainland, employed by the owner. 



Between the nearest point on the mainland and Pulo Pandjang lies the little 

 island of Raboe Raboe, which is partly covered with forest and almost entirely 



No. 2835.— Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 77, Art. 12. 



2597—30 1 1 



