GEOGRAPHICAL 
probably rivals that of Singapore as regards number of species, 
and owing to their less populated state birds are by no means 
scarce. It is, however, somewhat misleading to include these 
two larger land masses with the smaller islands of the south 
coast, for their size and the varied nature of their topography 
attract birds of many families and most of the species found 
on them are, as in the case of Singapore, characteristic of the 
lowlands of tlie southern part of the Malay Peninsula. 
"The smaller islands, on the other hand, certainly have a 
characteristic resident avifaima and in this point they present 
a uniformity which can only be matched by the monotony of 
their mangrove lined coastlines and similarity of general aspect . 
"The list given at the end of the paper* contains the names 
of io6 species of birds which with the exception of Pcnthoceryx 
soiuuTrati pmvata (Horsf.), Arachnothera flaz'igasier (Eyton) 
and Tracliycomus icylandicHS (Gm.) are all known from Singa- 
pore, These three species will no doubt be recorded from tlie 
main island in the future but they are certainly by no means 
commonly met with. 
"Tliere is in fact, little, if anything, in the list, which is 
unexpected and this in itself is perhaps interesting. 
**On the other hand there is a marked absence from the 
list of many common Malayan species, in a good number of 
cases these being birds which could be obtained,. with little 
difficulty a few miles away in the territory of Johore. Exhaus- 
tive collecting might till in tliese omissions to some extent but 
there is no doubt that the avifauna of even Pulau Ubin and 
Pulau Tekong is largely influenced, firstly, by the separation 
from the mainland, narrow though the intervening strip of 
water is, and secondly by the absence of any extent of jungle. 
To the Timaliid^e in particular the last remark may be taken 
to apply. 
"In the case of the smaller outlying islands the number of 
birds found is very small both in species and, usually, in 
individuals. 
*Not pTiiited here. 
[ 9 ] 
