THE ZOOLOGY OF KOH SAMUI AND KOH PENNAN. 
I. INTRODUCTION. 
By H. C. ROBINSON, c.™.z.s., M.B.0.0., DrRECTOR oF MuseEums, F.M.S. 
N view of the interesting results yielded by the zoological 
exploration of the Tioman group of islands off the coast of 
Johore and Pahang on the eastern side of the Malay Peninsula, it 
was thought that a similar investigation of the islands lying off the 
Bight of Bandon in the north-east of the Malay Peninsula might 
prove equally profitable. With the permission of His Excellency 
the High Commissioner, Malay States, and the Chief Secretary, 
Federated Malay States, and provided with introductions from the 
Siamese authorities, an expedition was arranged by the Federated 
Malay States Museums in the early part of 1913 and large collections 
of mammals and birds and smaller ones of plants and reptiles were 
made on the islands. 
The collections, though in some ways disappointing, are sufficiently 
interesting to merit description in detail, and full lists are given in 
the succeeding pages, which are prefaced by the following short 
account of the general character of the islands, which have been 
little visited by Huropeans and are hardly, if at all, represented in 
the local literature. 
Koh! Samui situated between the parallels of 9° 22’ and 9° 34 
N. and between longitude 99° 56’ and 100° 07’ E. is considerably the 
largest island on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula, being only 
approached in size by Pulau Tioman. It is situated well within the 
ten-fathom line and at its nearest, is distant from the mainland about 
nine- miles, this distance being bridged over by a chain of several 
small islets. 
The surface is very irregular, rising to a maximum elevation 
in the centre of the island of 2,200 feet, several other ranges 
exceeding 1,500 feet in height. These elevations are mainly disposed in 
long ridges, running roughly from S.H. to N.W., having large areas of 
flat or gently undulating land, between the hills, which are very steep. 
On the east large areas are quite flat, having the appearance of 
recent elevation; near the coast they are sandy and devoted to 
the cultivation of coconuts, but further inland the soil is better and a 
considerable amount of swamp rice is grown. On the north, west 
and south, the ground is more broken and the hilly ground comes 
quite down to the coast. There are several streams of permanent 
water, some of considerable size, but in the dry season, which was 
the time of our visit, those on the eastern side were much diminished 
in crossing the sandy coastal plain, and potable water was scarce and 
poor in quality. 
1 Koh or Kaw (Siamese) = Island. 
