58 CRUISE IN THE SOUTHERN CHINA SEA. 



The birds of Linga show no peculiarities and do not differ 

 from those occurring- in the adjacent mainlands. The most 

 complete collection recorded is that made by the native hunters 

 of the late Mr. A. H. Everett. The list of species is given in 

 " Novitates Zoologies." 



Pulo Taya and the Nyamok Islets. 



We left Linga at 2 a.m. on the morning of July 25th 

 bound for a group of three small islands forty miles to the 

 south-eastward. With the wind ahead all the way it was not 

 until mid-day on the 26th that we anchored off Taya the 

 largest of the three. 



The island is fairly steep-to, of granite formation rising to 

 a double peak about 600 feet high. It is about a mile and 

 a half long north and south, oval in shape and covered with 

 forest, 



Landing on the east side on a sandy bay in a bight between 

 the hills we found at the south end of the beach just within 

 the jungle a spring of good water. Near the shore the bay 

 was blocked up with coral over which at low tide we had to 

 scramble. A little party of Orang Laut in their crazy praus, 

 visiting the island for "ikan merah' for which it is well known, 

 told us that rats, squirrels, and a "biawak" were to be got; but 

 during the three occasions we were ashore we saw neither. 

 The only birds obtained were the Nicobar (Calcenas. nicobarica) 

 and Nutmeg pigeons (Myristicivora bicolor), which last occurs 

 on nearly all islands in this region: the glossy starling 

 (Caloniis chalybeus) with dark metallic green plumage and red 

 irrides: a gaudy little sunbird (Anthothreptes rhodolte/na), the 

 Eastern reef heron (Lepterodias sacer), and Halcyon chloris, the 

 blue-and- white kingfisher. Last and best of all was one speci- 

 men of Columba grisea, a bird of extreme rarity in collections.* 

 In general appearance it is somewhat similar to the cream-and- 

 black Nutmeg pigeon if the former colour were replaced by a 

 pale grey. 



On the Nyamok Islands about a mile north of Taya, two 

 islets, the larger no more than two or three hundred yards in 



* The British Museum Catalogue and Pigeons records a single 

 specimen only. 



Jour Straits BraiK: 



