114 T). Piain — Fauna of Narcondam and Barren Island. [April, 



16. DbmibgrbtTjI sacra Grmel. (Blue Reef-Heron.) Stray Feathers 



ii, 304. 



Common on both islands. 



DlSTRIB. India. Burma, Andaman*. Xicobars. 



17. Ardeola GrRATii Sykes. (Pond-Heron.) Stray Feathers ii, 



309. 



Barren Island only (Hume) ; not seen by the writer. 

 Distrib. India; Andamans (a visitant). 



18. StbRNDLA MELANATJCHEN Temm. (Snowy Tern.) Stray Fea- 

 thers ii, 319 ; also p. 107. 



Barren Island (Hume). 



Distrib.* Malaya ; Nicobars ; Andamans. 



The common Fowl is said to have been landed on both islands 

 alono- with the goats, there is now, however, no trace of its existence. 

 Possibly the large lizard — Rydrosaurus salvator — which is common, at 

 least on Narcondam, may be held responsible for its disappearance, tio- 

 thino- being more certain than that a fowl, if nesting on the ground, 

 must sooner or later fall a victim to this voracious creature. 



Reptiles: — There is on Narcondam at least one land-snake, for the 

 -writer and his companion (Mr. McCausland, commander of the " Na7i- 

 cowry") came upon one cast-off skin in the centre of the island. 



Lizards, both ignaniform lizards and skinques. are very common 

 on Narcondam though not at all frequent on Barren Island. The whole 

 of the crested ones were very shy but the skinques were the reverse of 

 t'mid.f The large water-lizard, Bydrusanms saloator, is very common 

 on Narcondam and is so unused to being disturbed that it waits till one 

 comes so close as to be able to touch it before turning aside into the 

 iungle. It was most common near the north bay where there is a small 

 sandy beach frequented by turtles. Doabtless here, as elsewhere, the 



*In this lift of birds only the distribution within the limits of South-Eastern 

 Asia (India and Ceylon; [ndo-China; Malaya and Northern Australia) is given, a 

 more detailed account of the distribution for the few thai extend beyond this area 

 being, for our present purpose, unnecessary. 



f Having one forenoon crossed the island from the landing-place near the 

 anchorage at the north-east corner to the north bay the writer with his companion 

 (Mr. Kcllog, Gunner of the " Nancowry ") rested for lunoh in the Bhade of the Coco- 

 nut .rrovo there ; while eating we were amused to watch the skinques prospecting 

 for the crumbs that fell aside ; after a little we in the meantime sitting as Btill 



:i . p08B ible Bome of the bolder or more confident lizards climbed our legs in searob 



of more. We observed besides thai others of them disputed with the hermit-orabs 

 which swarmed there for h shave of the nutty portion of Borne opened coco-nuts 

 that we bad thrown aside after drinking the " milk." 



