<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 02/29/2000
000 C000000 0000810943
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 6.1
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 PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS 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 97
019 C000000 PUTNAMFUND
020 A000001 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INC.
020 B000001 22-2347336
020 C000001 1
020 A000002 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
020 B000002 13-5108880
020 C000002 1
020 A000003 WARBURG DILLON READ
020 B000003 13-3340045
020 C000003 1
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 3
022 A000001 WARBURG DILLON READ
022 B000001 13-3340045
022 C000001 92680
022 D000001 360
022 A000002 CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON
022 B000002 13-5659485
022 C000002 55418
022 D000002 841
022 A000003 SALOMON SMITH BARNEY
022 B000003 13-3082694
022 C000003 41648
022 D000003 7491
022 A000004 MORGAN STANLEY DEAN WITTER
022 B000004 13-2655998
022 C000004 26419
022 D000004 4895
022 A000005 JP MORGAN SECURITIES INC
022 B000005 13-3224016
022 C000005 16776
022 D000005 0
022 A000006 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000006 13-2518466
022 C000006 4740
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 D000006 1930
022 A000007 DONALDSON,LUFKIN & JENRETTE SECURITIES CORP.
022 B000007 13-2741729
022 C000007 2416
022 D000007 4095
022 A000008 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
022 B000008 13-5108880
022 C000008 3227
022 D000008 880
022 A000009 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC
022 B000009 13-5674085
022 C000009 2350
022 D000009 956
022 A000010 BEAR STERNS & CO
022 B000010 13-4946705
022 C000010 1129
022 D000010 803
023 C000000 249712
023 D000000 26431
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 0.0
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 0.0
062 P000000 33.4
062 Q000000 48.9
062 R000000 17.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 7.6
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 N
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 34230
071 B000000 32066
071 C000000 109889
071 D000000 29
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 4912
072 C000000 873
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 414
072 G000000 3
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 33
072 J000000 55
072 K000000 7
072 L000000 10
072 M000000 7
072 N000000 0
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 30
072 S000000 9
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 32
072 X000000 600
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 5185
072AA000000 0
072BB000000 578
072CC010000 3459
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 5826
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.4260
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 43
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 0
074 D000000 95577
074 E000000 18332
074 F000000 658
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 761
<PAGE> PAGE 8
074 J000000 346
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 1993
074 M000000 0
074 N000000 117710
074 O000000 352
074 P000000 247
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 1011
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 116100
074 U010000 13683
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 8.48
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 2053
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 112681
076 000000 6.88
077 A000000 N
080 A000000 FEDERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 B000000 NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000 85000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 96
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 35
086 A020000 286
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 MANAGING DIRECTOR
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
Putnam High Income Convertible and Bond Fund
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 1
<NAME> CLASS A
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> Semi
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> Aug-31-1999
<PERIOD-END> Feb-29-2000
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 121,378,049
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 115,327,984
<RECEIVABLES> 2,339,104
<ASSETS-OTHER> 43,374
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 117,710,462
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 352,252
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 1,257,937
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 1,610,189
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 128,444,236
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 13,683,315
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 13,648,608
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 1,095,219
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> (7,389,117)
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> (6,050,065)
<NET-ASSETS> 116,100,273
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 873,160
<INTEREST-INCOME> 4,911,569
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 600,035
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 5,184,694
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (578,479)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 3,458,805
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 8,065,020
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (5,826,179)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 34,707
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 2,524,729
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 1,736,704
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> (6,810,638)
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 414,003
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 602,784
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 112,680,752
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 8.32
<PER-SHARE-NII> .38
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> .21
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.43)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 8.48
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 0.53
[AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING] 0
[AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE] 0
</TABLE>
