980 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIII. 
large numbers.” The cave he refers to is m weather-worn coral limestone at a 
height of 200 feet above sea-level. 
Other inhabitants of the grassy uplands are iiumerous, wagtails and pipits and 
one could usually be certain of putting up a few little quail, belonging to two 
different species, i.e., the Blue-breasted Quail, Excalfactoria cMnensis, and the 
^Nicobar Button-Quail, Turnix albiventris, whose crops seemed invariably to 
be fidl of grass-seed. 
It would be out of place in a paper such as this to review the past history of 
the Nicobars and the various attempts that have been made since the 17th cen- 
tury to christianise the inhabitants or to colonize the islands. In every case 
the effort has proved to be a failure and the attempt has been abandoned ; but 
traces of former occupations are plentiful and this is especially the case on Camorta 
near the south-eastern corner, where the British Penal Settlement was located. 
During the period of occupation a regular little torvn must have existed here and 
one can still see numerous traces of its former greatness. Both east and west 
of the jetty a low seawall that forms a habitat for the terrestrial Isopod Ligia, 
lias been built of coral blocks, cemented together and at intervals this wall is 
interrupted by the exit of “ pucca ” drams designed to carry off the storm water 
from the settlement area. In the little ravine at the back of the Agent’s bungalow 
is a large rvater-reservoir and two brick wells, while higher up on the slopes and 
summit of the rising ground one finds remains of the foundations of bungalows 
and portions of brick walls, now overgrorvu with ferns and with great trees rising 
from among the displaced bricks. Traces of roads and paths made of broken 
coral can still be found but nature is doing her best to hide these evidences of past 
failure, and the jungle has gradually encroached inwards. During the period of 
occupation, and especially that part of it when Mr. E. H. Man was in residence, 
numerous trees and shrubs were introduced and in consequence the character 
of the jungle in this part of the island is very different from what one finds 
elsewhere. TSvo large avenues of Casuarina trees lead up from the jetty through 
the jungle, bordering what were evidently at one time main roads, and a 
number of fine trees, belonging, so far as I can judge, to the genus Albizzia, form 
the predominating feature of the upper slopes. These latter trees have wide 
spreading branches and form a large umbrella-shaped dome that gives, rvhen in 
full leaf, plenty of shade. During late January these trees begin to shed their 
old leaves and early in February they were in full flower, being covered with 
pink blossoms. The presence of these trees produces a curious effect on the 
jungle, for at sundown the compound pinnate leaves all fold up and droop, exactly 
after the manner of the leaves of the sensitive plant when they are touched, thus 
giving one the impression that the trees are dying and the leaves becoming 
withered. Yet next morning at sunrise they are again obviously flourishing 
and every leaf is wide-spread. 
As one follow's the path over the brow of the hill one comes out on open grass 
land intersected by ravines and nullahs, and on the right of the path, and a little 
below it, is a little artificial lake that has been formed by throwing a bund across 
one of these ravines. In the course of years this has become populated by a 
■flora and fauna. Water-lilies are growing on its surface and living in it are fish 
of the genus Eleotris, fresh water prawns of the genus Palaemon, and a few ex- 
amples of a mollusc of the genus Neretina. In addition there are numerous in- 
sect larvre and water beetles. Swallows flit backwards and forwards over its 
surface, occasionally dipping down to the water, and near by a small flock of the 
Little Egret {Herodias garzetta) can usually be found perched on one of the trees. 
A chorus of loud croaks indicates the presence in the grass bordering the lake 
of numerous frogs but I only succeeded in obtaming a single specimen which 
appears to belong to the species Rana erythroea. 
During the occupation of the island two other large ravines were apparently 
under rice cultivation and bunds, provided with sluice-gates, were construe- 
