326 FAUNA OF ANDAMANS AND NICOBARS 



Birds. 



The birds of the Andamans and Nicobars have ahvays been 

 better known than the mammals, particularly since Mr A. O. 

 Hume, with a number of collectors, made a cruise round the 

 islands in a steamer in 1873, which resulted in the discovery of 

 many new species, and a careful analysis of the avifauna. 



In spite of what is to be expected from their position, the 

 islands derive the bulk of their species from the distant Indian 

 region, while the Indo-Burmese and Indo-Malayan regions are 

 represented to a far less degree. 



One of the most striking features is the extreme paucity of 

 rasorial birds— peafowl, junglefowl, pheasants, partridges, or any 

 of the natural genera into which these divide, and which are all 

 well represented in the Arakan Hills. The next point is the 

 highly specialised character of the ornis, for, excluding waders 

 and swimmers, more than a third of the species are peculiar to 

 the islands ; while still more remarkable is the extent to which 

 it is localised in the several groups between which is nowhere 

 a break of more than 80 miles. Even more noteworthy are the 

 details : for instance, the Andaman Hypothji/iis, which, as a rule, 

 is a very distinct form, is replaced in the Nicobars by one which, 

 although not precisely identical with the Indian form, is far more 

 closely allied to this than the Andaman Tytleri. Each group has 

 its distinct harrier eagle, red-cheeked paroquet, oriole, sunbird, 

 and bulbul. Two woodpeckers are peculiar to the Andamans, 

 but neither extends to the Cocos or Nicobars. The latter group 

 possesses three distinct but closely allied species of Astur, each 

 confined to separate islands. 



So far as the species not peculiar to the islands are concerned, 

 the influence of the Indian sub-region has vastly predominated ; 

 and if we look to the genera the preponderance is still more 

 marked, and thus it seems difficult to avoid the conclusion that 

 the ornis has altogether a very far stronger affinity with that 

 of the Indian region than with those of either the Indo-Burmese 

 or the Indo-Malayan. Yet this involves great difficulties, for 



