74 TRINKAT 



A great number of pigs were roaming about in company with 

 dogs, fowls, and a cat. The huts were surrounded for some 

 distance by palm trees growing in thick scrub undergrowth. 

 A little way along a path we arrived at a small jheel, on which 

 were a diver and several whistling teal. Birds were numerous 

 amongst the trees, where parrots {^P. erythrogenys) and pigeons 

 dwelt in flocks, and on the ground megapodes ran about 

 calling to each other, but were too well concealed, by the tall 

 grass and bushes that grew everywhere, for successful collecting. 

 We got here the Nicobar fly-catcher, in plumage of dark chest- 

 nut, with steely-black head, and GeocicJila albignlaris, a pretty 

 grey, olive and cinnamon thrush, a shy bird that kept down 

 on the ground or hid itself in low bushes. Out in the open, 

 amongst the grass, we found numbers of small warblers {Cisticola 

 cisticoia), an occasional snipe or two, and flocks of little button- 

 quail {Excalfactoria (?), sp. nov.), while a herd of about 

 fifty semi-wild cattle roamed about, most of them descendants 

 of a number turned out here in '88, when the settlement at 

 Nankauri was given up. They suffer but little loss in numbers 

 at the hands of the natives, for the Government allows no guns 

 in the islands, and it is only very occasionally that a number 

 of men will combine and slaughter a beast with spears. 



From the interior the scene was very beautiful ; rolling 

 grassy downs were dotted with numerous dwarf pandanus 

 trees {^P. furcatus)^ amongst which the cattle, black, white, and 

 brown, moved slowly. All around was thick jungle, through 

 breaks in which the sea was visible on either hand, and in 

 the west, the sun, shining from behind a dark cloud, painted the 

 hills and harbour of Nankauri in tones of grey and gold. The 

 photographs which I took of this scenery were spoilt, thanks to 

 a liberty taken by the too inquisitive Chinese " boy," who privately 

 satisfied his curiosity as to the appearance of the plates before 

 they had been removed from the slides and developed. 



In the evening the Government Agent, who is a native of 

 India, came across from the harbour and brought the Port Register, 

 in which we entered our arrival. These registers, bound va 



