They are margined by a beach of white coral sand, with occasional thin beds and ledges of coral conglomerate, succeeded by a belt of tangled bushes and low trees, after which the trees become higher and the ground tolerably free from underwood, with occasional thickets of woody climbers.  The cocoa-palm grows here in small numbers, usually several together, overtopping the other trees among which one of the Bombaceae (silk-cotton trees) and Pisonia grandis attain the greatest dimensions, having frequently a girth of twelve or fifteen feet, with a height of sixty or seventy.  A large-leaved Calophyllum is the prevailing tree of the island, and among the others I may mention a Myristica and a Caryophyllum, neither of which, however, are of the species furnishing the nutmegs and cloves of commerce.

Of mammalia a large Pteropus, or fruit-eating bat, was seen once or twice, but no specimen was procured.  The little Indian rat occurs abundantly on all the islands, taking to hollow logs and holes under the roots of trees for shelter.  Here it is tamer than I have elsewhere seen it—­by sitting down in a shady place, and remaining quiet, I have sometimes had three or four within a few yards of me playing about, chasing each other, or turning over the dead leaves.  It even climbs bushes and low trees, and gets out among the branches like a squirrel.

NICOBAR AND NUTMEG PIGEONS.

Birds were plentiful, and our sportsmen committed great havoc among the megapodii and pigeons.  The former were very numerous, running about the thickets, and calling to each other like pheasants in a preserve at home.  Among the other game birds, first in size and splendour comes the Nicobar pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica).  As its appearance exhibits a near approach to the gallinaceous birds, so do its habits.  It lives chiefly on the ground, runs with great swiftness, and flies up into a tree when disturbed.  A nest found here was of the rude platform construction usually found among the pigeon family; it was built in a tree about ten feet from the ground, and contained a single white egg.  The most common of the family, however, is one of the nutmeg pigeons, Carpophaga oceanica.  Many of both sexes were furnished with a large, round, fleshy caruncle on the bill at the base of the forehead—­this is said to be present during the breeding season only.  Its favourite place of resort during the heat of the day is among the nutmegs and other spreading shady trees where we found it difficult of detection, even when led up to the spot by its cooing.  This last may be represented by the letters poor-oo-oo-oo hoor-r-r-r, the first syllable loud and startling, the remainder faint and long drawn-out; on the other hand the cry of the Nicobar pigeon is merely hoo-hoo.  In flavour the Oceanic pigeon far surpasses the white or Torres Strait species, the merits of which, as an article of food, we had so often fully appreciated during our last cruise.  Most of them were very fat, and some even burst open in falling to the ground after having been shot.  A solitary specimen of another large pigeon—­with the throat white, and the plumage with purple and green metallic reflections—­was obtained, also a small dove of a new species, with pink forehead and broad cream-coloured pectoral band, which has been named by Mr. Gould Ptilonopus strophium.