<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 02/28/98
000 C000000 0000810943
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 PUTNAM HIGH INCOME CONVERTIBLE AND BOND FUND
001 B000000 811-5133
001 C000000 6172921562
002 A000000 ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02109
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-7974
008 D010001 BOSTON
008 D020001 MA
008 D030001 02109
011 A000001 PUTNAM MUTUAL FUNDS CORP.
011 B000001 8-5088
011 C010001 BOSTON
011 C020001 MA
011 C030001 02109
012 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTOR SERVICES
012 B000001 84-401299
012 C010001 BOSTON
012 C020001 MA
012 C030001 02109
013 A000001 PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
013 B010001 BOSTON
013 B020001 MA
<PAGE> PAGE 2
013 B030001 02110
015 A000001 PUTNAM FIDUCIARY TRUST CO.
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 BOSTON
015 C020001 MA
015 C030001 02109
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 94
019 C000000 PUTNAMFUND
020 A000001 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC.
020 B000001 13-3224016
020 C000001 3
020 A000002 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INC.
020 B000002 22-2347336
020 C000002 2
020 A000003 LAZARD FRERES
020 B000003 13-5545100
020 C000003 2
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 7
022 A000001 GOLDMAN SACSHS & CO.
022 B000001 13-5108880
022 C000001 206804
022 D000001 221
022 A000002 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000002 13-2518466
022 C000002 132251
022 D000002 1359
022 A000003 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC.
022 B000003 13-3224016
022 C000003 20243
022 D000003 454
022 A000004 UBS SECURITIES
022 B000004 13-2932996
022 C000004 10645
022 D000004 800
022 A000005 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
022 B000005 13-5674085
022 C000005 6189
022 D000005 3598
022 A000006 SALOMON BROTHERS INC.
022 B000006 13-3082694
022 C000006 2533
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 D000006 6774
022 A000007 DONALDSON, LUFKIN, & JENRETTE SECURITIES CORP
022 B000007 13-2741729
022 C000007 5266
022 D000007 1676
022 A000008 MORGAN STANLEY INC.
022 B000008 13-2655998
022 C000008 3610
022 D000008 2438
022 A000009 SMITH, BARNEY, HARRIS, UPHAM & CO.
022 B000009 13-1912900
022 C000009 4214
022 D000009 1200
022 A000010 FIRST BOSTON CO.
022 B000010 13-5659485
022 C000010 1425
022 D000010 2071
023 C000000 406084
023 D000000 34211
024 000000 N
025 D000001 0
025 D000002 0
025 D000003 0
025 D000004 0
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
026 A000000 Y
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 Y
026 G020000 Y
026 H000000 N
027 000000 N
028 A010000 0
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 0
028 B010000 0
028 B020000 0
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 0
028 C010000 0
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 0
028 D010000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 4
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 0
028 E010000 0
028 E020000 0
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 0
028 F010000 0
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 0
028 G010000 0
028 G020000 0
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 0
028 H000000 0
030 A000000 0
030 B000000 0.00
030 C000000 0.00
031 A000000 0
031 B000000 0
032 000000 0
033 000000 0
035 000000 0
036 B000000 0
038 000000 0
042 A000000 0
042 B000000 0
042 C000000 0
042 D000000 0
042 E000000 0
042 F000000 0
042 G000000 0
042 H000000 0
043 000000 0
044 000000 0
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.000
048 A010000 500000
048 A020000 0.750
048 B010000 500000
048 B020000 0.650
048 C010000 500000
048 C020000 0.600
048 D010000 0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000 0
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 5
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000 0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 1500000
048 K020000 0.550
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 Y
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 N
054 H000000 N
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 Y
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 Y
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 N
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061 000000 1000
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 1.6
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
<PAGE> PAGE 6
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 53.7
062 P000000 32.7
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 10.7
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 7.5
064 A000000 N
064 B000000 N
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 Y
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 N
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 Y
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 Y
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 Y
<PAGE> PAGE 7
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 40395
071 B000000 44183
071 C000000 142526
071 D000000 31
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 6106
072 C000000 552
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 505
072 G000000 3
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 67
072 J000000 33
072 K000000 8
072 L000000 14
072 M000000 7
072 N000000 12
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 30
072 S000000 8
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 9
072 X000000 696
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 5962
072AA000000 3794
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 3040
072DD010000 5716
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 5136
073 A010000 0.4260
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.3830
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 222
074 B000000 2182
074 C000000 0
074 D000000 113427
074 E000000 12847
074 F000000 1392
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 3309
<PAGE> PAGE 8
074 J000000 1080
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 1972
074 M000000 0
074 N000000 136431
074 O000000 453
074 P000000 291
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 983
074 S000000 134704
074 T000000 0
074 U010000 13467
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 10.00
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 2509
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 136918
076 000000 10.00
077 A000000 N
080 A000000 FEDERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 B000000 NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000 85000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 93
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
086 A010000 0
086 A020000 0
086 B010000 0
086 B020000 0
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
086 F020000 0
087 A010000 COMMON STOCK
<PAGE> PAGE 9
087 A020000 7467798107
087 A030000 PCF/PTMHUI
088 A000000 N
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 N
SIGNATURE PAUL BUCUVALAS
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
Putnam High Income Convertible Bond Fund
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 1
<NAME> CLASS A
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> OTHER
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1997
<PERIOD-END> FEB-28-1998
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 127,277,838
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 133,157,069
<RECEIVABLES> 3,052,395
<ASSETS-OTHER> 221,604
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 136,431,068
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 453,151
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 1,274,263
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 1,727,414
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 125,802,022
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 13,466,760
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 13,377,770
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 878,600
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 2,143,801
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 5,879,231
<NET-ASSETS> 134,703,654
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 552,055
<INTEREST-INCOME> 6,015,517
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 695,586
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 5,961,986
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 3,794,112
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (3,540,456)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 6,215,642
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (5,716,407)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> (5,135,583)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (3,696,280)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 633,021
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 3,485,272
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 505,447
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 725,192
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 136,917,661
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 10.35
<PER-SHARE-NII> .44
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> .02
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.43)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> (.38)
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 10.00
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .53
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
