THE ISLANDS OF THE BAY OF BENGAL, 57 



"but as it proved that they had all been basely potted (it must be 

 admitted that I never got the chance) it may naturally be con- 

 ceived that that cock would'nt fight. 



We were all on board again by about eleven, the others had 

 seen and shot much the same birds as we had, and over aud 

 above these several of the Andaman Mynah ( Temenuclms 

 andamanensis) which we had failed to secure, a couple of the 

 Southern Brown Flycatcher (A. latirostris) and a specimen of 

 the Indian Loriquet or Love bird (L. vernalis) so common about 

 Port Blair. 



We now steamed in and oat through the Labyrinth Islands, 

 the most delightful little excursion I think I ever made. Our 

 course lay through narrow sapphire blue channels, fringed every- 

 where with emerald green mangroves, and overlooked and 

 overhung by mounds and hills of the most various hued foliage 

 For the first two hours the weather was glorious, then of a 

 sudden, a little squall swept over head, veiling the blue sky in 

 murky dimness, and then down came the rain lashing the 

 water into a lather and blotting out everything ten yards 

 distant from us. We anchored instantly, but in less than ten 

 minutes the squall had passed, and but for the wonderful sparkle 

 on the dripping foliage, and for thin films of foam floating 

 everywhere around us, nothing remained to remind us of the 

 visitation, only perhaps everything seemed, if possible, brighter 

 and more beautiful than before. 



As we threaded our way through the still channels (which 

 are much more numerous and intricate than are indicated by 

 the map, several of the smaller islands having been omitted) 

 we noticed Sea- eagles, Beef herons, Kingfishers, Fruit-pigeons, 

 aud most of the birds already mentioned (conspicuous amongst 

 which were endless parties of the Andaman Paroquet, flying 

 to and fro from island to island), but nothing new. 



Later we returned and anchored at the smaller Jolly Boy, 

 (there are three though only one appears on the map) which was 

 unanimously christened Jolly Boy Junior, and toasted in 

 various sparkling beverages before landing. This little island 

 is devoid of mangroves, and is surrounded everywhere by a 

 broad snowy coral beach, inside which it is densely wooded. 

 This island looks out on the open sea, and has to bear the whole 

 brunt of the smth-west monsoon, the consequence is that the 

 forest is very low on the western side and gradually rises to the 

 eastern, the tops of the trees forming a regular solid-looking 

 slope, mown to this shape by the sharp scythe of the monsoon 



