g -ray spectroscopy of the high-spin states of the neutron-deficient nucleus 187Pb has been conducted with the 155Gd(36Ar,4n) reaction. A cascade of three transitions was deduced from g -g coincidence data gated by detection of recoiling evaporation residues in a gas-filled recoil separator. In an earlier, separate experiment, two of these g rays were positively identified with 187Pb by recoil-g coincidence measurements with a high-resolution, recoil mass spectrometer. From comparison with similar sequences in heavier odd-A lead isotopes, the cascade in 187Pb is associated with the sequence of three E2 transitions from the yrast 25/2 + level to a low-lying 13/2 + isomer. The variation of excitation energy with mass number of the levels concerned suggests that their structure can be associated with weak coupling of an odd i13/2 neutron to states in the spherical well. However, the possibility that they are influenced by mixing with states in the prolate-deformed well cannot be discounted
