THE ISLANDS OP THE BAY OF BENGAL. 123 



March at Port Blair, where he went on collecting, until, on the 

 1st of April, he again started with General Stewart for a 

 fifteen days' trip through the Andaman and Coco Groups, and on 

 his return he again worked the Southern Andaman, until his 

 final departure on the 12th of May. His more important 

 trips will also be found indicated on the map. He and his 

 people preserved nearly 1,200 specimens, besides those that they 

 contributed, while cruising with us, to our stock. 



During Mr. Davison's stay at Port Blair, Captain Wimberley 

 expressed a desire to collect, and before leaving Davison trans- 

 ferred to him one of our taxidermists. From Api'il to Septem- 

 ber Captain Wimberley collected, and we have received from 

 him a little over 700 specimens preserved during these 

 months. 



Some specimens appear to have been lost, and a few were 

 destroyed, but I had altogether 2,380 skins before me, all 

 carefully sexed and dated, and more than half measured in the 

 flesh, when I prepared the detailed list which will be given 

 hereafter. 



Besides these specimens and my own and Davison's notes, 

 we have Von Pelzeln's remarks on the explorations of the 

 Novara ; sundry notes of Mr. Blyth's on birds which he from 

 time to time received from the Andamans and Nicobars; 

 Beavan and Tytler's papers, founded on the collections each 

 made ; and Mr. Ball's papers, partly founded on these, and partly 

 on his own ; and Dr. Dobson's collections and observa- 

 tions. 



While, therefore, our information is still far from complete, I 

 think it may be fairly assumed that we now know the great 

 majority of the species, that occur in any considerable numbers, 

 in these islands. 



Situated as these latter are, and subject as is the whole 

 region in which they lie, to hurricanes and cyclones, stray 

 individuals of species, (as yet unrecorded,) from Burmah, the 

 Malay Peninsular, Sumatra, Ceylon and Southern India, will 

 necessarily occur from time to time. Moreover, the interior of 

 the Great Nicobar will, I doubt not when explored, yield a certain 

 number of new species ; but for all that, we now have, I think, 

 sufficient data for forming a tolerably correct conception of the 

 general character of the Avifauna of these islands. 



Altogether 198 species will be found noticed in my list, as 

 observed by ourselves, or admitted by others into the Avifauna 



