SHOOTING PARTY ON DUCHATEAU ISLES. 63 



The present species, however, is six times larg-er 

 than the more common sort, some of which was 

 mixed up with it, their diameters, as ascertained hy 

 Mr. Huxley, being respectively -^^ and Ji of an 

 inch. 



To-day we stood in for the Duchslteau Isles, and, 

 rounding- them to the westward, anchored in the 

 afternoon in seventeen fathoms, with the central 

 island hearing south, distant one mile. 



Jan. 7 th. — Along- with a shooting" party I landed 

 soon after dayhght on the westernmost Duch4teau 

 Island. Numbers of Nicobar pigeons left the 

 island as we approached, having apparently used it 

 merely as a roosting place. Heavy showers and 

 thunder clouds passed over at intervals during the 

 whole morning, rendering our shooting not quite so 

 successful as it might have been ; still we pro- 

 cured about fifty pigeons and a few of Duperrey's 

 megapodius. In habits this last bird resembles the 

 Australian species, especially in constructing enor- 

 mous mounds for the reception of its eggs. Those 

 which I saw averaged five feet in height and fifteen 

 in diameter, and were composed of the sandy soil of 

 the neighbourhood, mixed up with rotten sticks and 

 leaves, but without any shells or coral. Some were 

 placed on the outer margin of the thickets close to 

 the beach, and others were scattered about more 

 inland. As several of these mounds shewed indica- 

 tions of having lately been opened by the birds, I 

 entertained hopes of being able to procure an egg, 



