624. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. VOL. XXXIV. 
Pulo Padang.—See map, page 623. 
This island is separated from the mainland of Sumatra by a continuation of 
the Salat Panjang. It is separated from Pulo Bengkalis by the Salat Padang, 
about 1 mile in width and 5 or 6 fathoms deep. At its lower end it is separated 
from Pulos Merbau and Tebing Tinggi by narrow channels. 
It has about the same area as Pulo Bengkalis; its surface is. low and flat 
and mostly covered with forest.—W. L. Abbott. 
The mammals of these islands, Rupat, Bengkalis, and Padang, are remark- 
ably few in number of species, considering their extent and their proximity: to 
the coast of Sumatra. These islands are very low, only a few feet above high 
water, and nearly everywhere swampy after heavy rains. There are no hills 
anywhere and they are all doubtless of recent alluvial formation. No typhoons 
or heavy gales ever occur, so that the tiger and rhinoceros have never been 
earried across the narrow straits, as has happened in many of the islands of 
the Mergui Archipelago. When some of the great cyclones have occurred at the 
head of the Bay of Bengal, Sangar Island and much of the Sundarbans have 
been completely flooded, and tigers, deer, and other mammals swept out to sea 
in hundreds and drowned. The only heavy gales, except squalls, that occur in 
the Straits of Malacca are the ‘*“‘ Sumatras,” which blow for a short time with 
almost hurricane violence. They last only a short time, at most four or five 
hours, and are unaccompanied by much depression of barometer and consequent 
rise of sea level. The rain pours in torrents, but the short duration and com- 
paratively local character prevent much flooding. 
The large rivers which rise in the western range of mountains and flow 
nearly across Sumatra, to empty on this coast, the Indragiri, Siak, and Kampar, 
all rise enormously in the rains, particularly in the uplands. They must carry 
down more or less animal life on such occasions. But when the rivers reach 
the vast alluvial flat bordering the east coast the level of the water scarcely 
changes during the highest floods. There are no embankments, and the increase 
of fresh water simply spreads out over the forest-covered country whose surface 
is just a few inches above ordinary high-tide level. The fresh water merely 
displaces the previously salt or brackish water. The whole east coast of 
Sumatra is simply a huge sponge. This coast district then acts as a sort of 
strainer which catches any or most of the animals brought down by the floods 
from the highlands. 
Curiously enough the bear exists in all three of the islands of Rupat, 
Bengkalis, and- Padang. This is a common inhabitant of the Swampy east 
coast, but is not often found in islands. .It occurs in Banka, however, and in 
some of the Mergui Archipelago near the coast. The absence of tigers is curious, 
especially as its particular food pigs and Rusa are very common, and tigers 
swim very well indeed. In this connection it is to be noted that tigers were 
absent from Singapore Island at the time of its settlement in 1819, but became 
abundant ten or fifteen years later when the human population increased. At 
the present time they seem to swim across the Johor Strait at will. Jeopards 
are not found in the islands. There is a wild cat common in all three islands, 
probably a form of Felis bengalensis. 'The natives complain much of its depre- 
dations on their poultry. Muntjacs are absent. They like dry ground and low 
hills and the islands are unsuited to them. They rarely occur on islands, 
only on Nias and on Pulo Bintang, where they have probably been introduced. 
Monkeys, Macaca fascicularis and Presbytis cristata, occur on all three islands. 
[Presbytis percura]| on Pulo Rupat only. Siws oi and Sus vittatus both occur on 
Rupat, the latter very common. On Bengkalis and Padang, Sus oi was common . 
