SIAMIL ISLAND.--This island is about one mile in circumference and the
highest point is about 300 feet above sea level. The island has high
bluffs on three sides but slopes gently to the sea on the other. There
were patches of forest left on the island, one on the north side and one
on the south. The sheer bluffs on the east side of the island were
covered with _Pandanus_ sp. The undergrowth of the north forest had been
cut, leaving extensive bare areas. The principal undergrowth was rattan.
The natives are clearing and planting more of the island to coconuts and
hope eventually to clear it completely.

KARINDINGEN ISLAND.--This island, about half a mile in circumference and
between 10 and 20 feet above sea level at its highest point, was
surrounded by extensive coral reefs and sand; the principal vegetation
was mangroves.

ECOLOGICAL AFFINITIES OF THE AVIFAUNA AT QUOIN HILL

More time was spent at Quoin Hill than at any other locality. Fifty five
of the more common and hence best-known birds are listed in Table 1
together with their primary and secondary preferences of habitat. The
habitat distribution of the birds shows the amount of secondary
utilization of habitats by birds that occurred predominantly in one
habitat. Cocoa was utilized by 6.2 per cent of the birds of the primary
forest, and 88.8 per cent of birds of the secondary forest. This
indicates that cocoa is an effective substitute for secondary forest for
some birds. Of the species of the primary forest, 18.7 per cent occurred
also in secondary forest; thus, three times as many species of primary
forest utilized secondary forest as utilized cocoa. This too might be
expected, since "secondary" forest is of frequent natural occurrence and
an ancient feature while the comparatively simple cocoa plantings are
new and artificial.

TABLE 1.--Habitat preferences of 55 Quoin Hill birds.

=====================================================
X = Primary |Primary forest
O = Secondary | |Secondary forest
| | |Cocoa plantations
SPECIES | | | |Fluviatile water
| | | | |Abaca
----------------------------+----+----+----+----+----
_Treron curvirostra_ | | X | | |
_Cacomantis merulinus_ | | O | X | |
_Chalcites malayanus_ | | | X | |
_Phaenicophaeus_