SOME VISITS TO BATAM ISLAND. 67 



twice stampeded the animals in dense vegetation but I was 

 never able to catch sight of them and the spring-guns I set 

 were never effective. However I got a new rat in some beach 

 forest, a very beautiful specimen of the jerdoni type which 

 made me feel glad I had come to the island again. 



One afternoon I went up the river which after some 

 distance turned completely on itself and ran south. It was 

 entirely mangrove bordered, though once or twice there were 

 glimpses of old clearings. A number of small side streams 

 were probably only drainage of the swamp. We landed on 

 an isolated hill where were paths and found some old " jerats " 

 for mouse-deer. The jungle trees were nearly all of a bark- 

 shedding kind but I saw a quantity of the red stemmed palm 

 (Cyrtostacliys sp.) and collected some orchids — Grammato- 

 pliyllums being plentiful on the mangroves. 



As I appeared to have exhausted the district after having 

 made 49 mammal skins, many of the species reported appar- 

 ently not occuring there, on April 3rd we loaded the prau 

 and rowed down the bay to its head where we got a slight 

 breeze. Outside a strong ebb set us to the eastward but as 

 we neared Singapore Island we met the flood which carried 

 us into the harbour in time to get everything home before 

 night. 



I obtained thirteen species of mammals during the two 

 visits and observed two others, while nine more were reported 

 to exist. Thus Batam is by no means exhausted : for if they 

 -really occur, the determination of the reported Presbytes, M. 

 nemestrina, Paradoxurus, Sciuropterus and Ratufa will be 

 interesting, but to obtain this it would probably be necessary 

 to camp in the middle of the island where good jungle may 

 still exist. 



Mammals of Batam. 



1. Presbytes crisiaia (Raffles) is fairly common in small 



herbs both in forest and mangroves. It is known to 

 the natives by the name of " Klabu." 



2. Presbytes species. A " Kaka " with a white breast was 



reported to occur. If this is a fact I am inclined to 



R. A. -Soc, No. 50, 1908. 



