OF THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS. 499 



mens of palumboides as we have of M. nicobariensis, the 

 non-validity of nicobarica will be as indisputable as that of 

 trinkutensis. 



803 seztm— Megapodius nicobariensis, Blyth. 



In the Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist, for June 1874, my friend 

 Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe describes a supposed new species of 

 Megapode from the island of Trinkut under the name of 

 a M. trinkutensis.'''' He says : — 



" Above olive brown ; many of the feathers rather inclining to 

 clearer and more rufous brown on their margins ; wings uniform 

 with back externally ; the inner webs of coverts and quills deep 

 brown ; the primaries very pale fulvous brown on their outer 

 webs ; tail uniform with back ; crown of head light bay ; lores, 

 cheeks, and region of the eye bare ; ear-coverts, throat, sides 

 of neck, and hinder part of latter forming a collar pale creamy 

 fulvous; under surface of body rather lighter olive brown than 

 the back ; greyish on the abdomen, thighs, and under tail-coverts ; 

 under wing-coverts olive brown like the breast, except the 

 greater series, which are greyish like the inner lining of the 

 wing. 



" Total length, 15'5 inches; culmen, 1*1 ; wing, 9'7 ; tail, 3*5 ; 

 tarsus, 2 '45. 



Hab. Trinkut Island, Nicobars. 



" This new species is closely allied to 31. nicobariensis, as might 

 have been expected ; but on examining the excellent account 

 of the latter bird lately published by Mr, Hume (Stray 

 Feathers, II., p. 276), it is evident that the Trinkut bird is 

 distinct. It has none of the . " French-grey " tinge on the 

 throat and sides of neck, but, on the contrary, has these parts 

 a pale fulvous colour, forming a collar round the hind neck/' 



I cannot think that this is a distinct species ; I have now seven- 

 teen specimens before me from Tillangchong, Katchall, Trinkut, 

 Nankowry, Bompoka, and Treis, and I have examined about 

 a dozen others, all, though somewhat variable in size and in shade 

 of plumage, belonged, in my opinion, unmistakeably, to one and 

 the same species. This supposed new species is merely a stage 

 of plumage of nicobariensis that we did not happen to see, 

 though we did obtain two (not on Trinkut), showing traces of 

 the pale fulvous collar referred to ; and I have since seen a 

 specimen from Nankowry answering well to Mr. Sharpens care- 

 ful description, which forms a valuable supplement to my own 

 former description. 



