310 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxv. 



upon chillies (small red peppers) that had escaped from cultivation. 

 Did not see many on Great Nico])ar. Those in Katchal were mosth" 

 about the open ground and in the cocoanuts. The iris is composed of 

 two rings, the inner one white or blue, the outer one crimson; the 

 or})ital skin is blue; feet dull red; ])ill dark horn brown, cere paler."" 



Plight specimens, from Kamorta, Katchal, Tillanchong, and Great 

 Nicobar. 



Males have a total length of 304 to 425.5 mm.; females, 390.5 mm. 



Family PHASIANID^E. 



EXCALFACTORIA TRINKUTENSIS, new species. 



7y/^.'.— Adult female, No. 17S5T5, U.S.N.M.; Trinkut Island, Nico- 

 bars, February 4, 1001; Dr. W. L. Abbott. Similar to the female of 

 E. c/mienms^ but general coloration darker and richer; ground color 

 of feathers of the back, scapulars, and sides of neck grayish, instead 

 of brown; forehead, a broad superciliary band, cheeks and throat, fawn 

 color,^ paler on chin; entire underparts, except throat, barred. In the 

 female of E. chinensis the abdomen is buffy white, unmarked; with 

 this exception the pattern of coloration in the two forms is the same. 

 Wing, 65 mm., tail, 22, tarsus, 24.5, culmen, 10. Length, 133.5. 

 "Feet yellow.'' 



One specimen only was collected, although reported as "common in 

 the open grass lands of Trinkut and Kamorta." 



Family MEGAFODID.F]. 



MEGAPODIUS NICOBARIENSIS Blyth. 



Megapodius niculxtrkndx Blyth, Jouni. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, XY, 1846, ]>. 52 

 (Nicobars). 



"Common in all the islands except Car Nicobar; whether it exists 

 here we could not find out. We did not see any, but Solomans, the 

 Madrasee catechist, said he had seen some in the heavy forest north of 

 Kemios, and near the middle of the island. The natives gave con- 

 tradictory accounts. We first met with them at Tillanchong, where 

 at first we thought the}^ were scarce, but they proved to be very com- 

 mon. Many of their nest mounds Avere on a sandy strip by the sea 

 shore. The largest mound was 30 feet in diameter and 8 feet high, 

 composed almost entirely of sand, with very few dead leaves. The 

 temperature in the interior is much raised and feels hot to the hand, 

 when one is engaged in digging out the eggs. This was an exception- 

 ally large mound, and, having seen hundreds of mounds since that, 

 should say the average diameter is 10 to 15 feet and 4 feet high. 



The megapodes are not exactly shy, but they are diflicult to shoot, 



^Eidgway's Nomenclature of Colors, pi. iii, uo. 22. 



