TO LOWER SI AM. 43 



one of the only balsams known, which has the flowers in a 

 raceme and this is not rarely branched. We got another plant 

 of the blue balsam in full flower which was a find as we had 

 only found a single flower before. A flock of lotongs (Semno- 

 pithecus) dark grey above, paler beneath, with a circle of white 

 round the eyes, were feeding in the trees at the base of the 

 cliffs, and I noticed two or three of the little squirrels (Sciurus 

 notatus apparently) running across the vertical face of the 

 smoothest part of the cliffs with ease. Monitor lizards 

 (Varanus) were abundant all over this district and we often 

 saw them scuttling off. I saw here too a very pretty little 

 tailor bird (Phylleryates cinereicollis) of an olive yellow colour 

 with a pure white throat and red head. It was very tame and 

 let me approach it closely. 



March 4. We went to the strange box shaped hill of 

 Chupeng, by gharry, a drive of seven miles. This is a large 

 square shaped hill or block of limestone with vertical precipi- 

 tous sides. After putting the gharry up at a shed by a small 

 shop, a short walk took us to a rocky path which led to a 

 cave of some size. This cave descends a little and then 

 ascends to another mouth at some altitude from which a fine 

 view towards the southwest is obtained. This cave is full of 

 sea bird Guano of a brownish white colour and quite soft and 

 powdery- It is being worked for export. Higher up the cliffs 

 we saw bamboo ladders by which the Malays ascended to 

 procure the guano, bags of which ready to be sent to Perlis 

 we saw at the shop on our return. 



The occurrence of this immense quantity of Guano so far in- 

 land shows clearly that the whole of the plain country over which 

 one looks from the cave mouth was formerly and perhaps at no 

 very distant date covered by sea and abounding in sea birds. 



On a rock face just opposite the cave, opening we found 

 a patch of a bright green and exquisite, little fern, only about 

 three inches tall. It proved a new. Species to be named 

 Lastrea chupengensis. A curious little creeping plant with 

 stout tuberous woody roots and pretty pink flowers grew in 

 dryer spots. It was Boerhaavia repanda. 



R. A. Soc, No. 59, I9H. 



