82. THE NICOBAR MEGAPODE. 



Megapodius nicobariensis, BLYTH. 



The hind toe large and placed on the 

 same level as the front toes. 



VERNACULAR NAMES : None known. 



THE Nicobar Megapode is restricted, so 

 far as we know at present, to the Nicobar 

 Islands. Mr. Hume tells us that his 

 party saw and shot them on every single 

 island except the three northernmost : 

 Chowra, Batty Halve and Car Nicobar. 

 With regard to Mr. Hume's surmise that 

 these Megapodes may occur on Table 

 Island, one of the Andaman Group, I am 

 able to state positively that there is not 

 a trace of them on this island now. 

 Captain Shopland and myself visited this 

 island very frequently, in connection with 

 the lighthouse there ; we explored every 

 corner of it and collected every living 

 thing we could find, but there were no 

 Megapodes nor even traces of their 

 mounds. 



Mr, Hume, who had splendid oppor- 



384 



