BIRDS 97 



Nowadays, all that marks our possession of these islands 

 is the Colonial Jack, presided over by a Hindu ; all that shows 

 our past occupation, fallen brickwork, grass-grown roads and 

 graves : these things, and the result of our contact with the 

 native inhabitants. In the north, some knowledge of the 

 English speech, and the beginning of education ; here the sup- 

 pression of piracy. 



The agent told us that in the group people were dying almost 

 day b}^ day ; the cause, from his description, ague and malaria.* 

 Beyond two or three slight cases of elephantiasis, we ourselves 

 noticed no symptoms of disease amongst the adults, but the 

 children nearly all seemed to be suffering from yaws. 



The country around the settlement is very undulating, and 

 covered with long grass growing on a sterile clay. It was 

 almost lifeless, for we saw little more than wagtails, pipits, and 

 an occasional button-quail [Turnix albiventris and Excalfactoria, 

 sp. nov.) ; but in one of the numerous gullies between the hills 

 we found a little j'heel where formerly paddy had been grown, 

 and floating on its surface was a small flock of whistling teal 

 {Dendrocygna javanica). A couple were dropped before they 

 flew out of range, and next day we met in the same place a 

 larger number, which all got off scot free ; but a falcon {F. pere- 

 grinus), that like ourselves had just made an unsuccessful attack, 

 was soon reposing in a game-bag, in company with a chestnut 

 heron (yA. cinnomomea), and a redshank. 



On February nth, when we left our anchorage, the breeze 

 was very light, and bore the schooner slowly through the calm 

 waters of the harbour as we steered for the western exit. 



Blair, 3s. Dictionary of Nancoii'ry and Nicobarese Languages (both parts), 

 Calcutta, 7s. 6d. 



* This decline of population has been even more marked in the southern 

 group than in the central, and has been found to be due to paucity of births 

 and not to increased mortality. It has been attributed to injur}' done by the 

 practice among the men of the Central and Southern Islands of fastening the 

 neng or loin-cloth unduly tightly over the organs of generation, whereby these 

 are in many cases rendered impotent. At Kar Nicobar, Teressa, and Bompoka, 

 and Chaura the neng is worn less tightly. 



G 



