Megapodes. 385 



tunities for observing these birds, says : 

 "The Megapode never wanders far from 

 the sea-shore, and throughout the day it 

 keeps in thickish jungle, a hundred yards 

 or so above high-water mark. It never, 

 so far as I observed, emerged on to the 

 open grass hills that form so conspicuous 

 a feature in so many of the Nicobars, but 

 throughout the day hugged the belt of 

 more or less dense jungle that in most 

 places along the whole coast supervenes 

 abruptly on the white coral beach. At 

 dusk, during moonlight nights, and in the 

 early dawn, glimpses may be caught of 

 them running about on the shore or even 

 at the very water's edge, but during 

 daylight they skulk in the jungle. 



"They are to be met with in pairs, 

 coveys and flocks of from thirty to fifty. 

 They run with great rapidity and rise 

 unwillingly, running and flying just like 

 jungle hens. They often call to each 

 other, and when a party has been surprised 

 and dispersed, they keep on talking to 

 each other incessantly, half a dozen 

 cackling at the same time. The note is 

 not unlike the chuckling of a hen that has 

 recently laid an egg. . . . When by any 

 fortunate chance you can get them, they 

 they are very easy to shoot. ... As game 



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