2 ARKIV FOR ZOOLOGI. BAND 7. N:0 7. 



and there dotted with some raffia-groves, indicating the pre- 

 sence of waterpools which never dry up even during the six 

 months of the dry season. The animal life in this plain is rather 

 poor and uniform. In the northwest, the grass-plain changes 

 its appearence, the ground becoming more hilly, with the zatta- 

 palm as the mos t characteristic plant. A large forest — tall and 

 beautiful for the westcoast of Madagascar — extends south of 

 S:te Marie; here the animal life Avas much richer than in the 

 plain. From this central point longer and shorter collecting 

 trips were made to various places all about the country. 



Dr. Kaudern spent the last days of the year at Maj unga 

 again. Then he started in a sailing boat to Mahajamba bay, 

 about 100 km. further north, and up the Sofia river, proceeding 

 by land to the small village of Andranolava, situated about 

 halfway between the east and the west coast. This place now 

 became to the end of March new headquarters for his excur- 

 sions. Andranolava gets its name from the river Andranolava, 

 which here falls into the broad and rapid Bemarivo river (an = 

 at, rano = w^ater, lava = long). The river, having changed 

 its course several times, has cut out a broad and deep valley 

 with many small parallel channels, in the bottom of which there 

 still sometimes flow small brooks. Heavy grass flourishes in 

 the old river-beds; here and there stånd some palms or other 

 kinds of trees, and a dense bush grows along the borders of 

 the small brooks. The valley is enclosed by mountain slopes, 

 to a large extent covered with beautiful woods, which had more 

 resemblance to a tropical forest, than that of S:te Marie. The 

 animal life was about the same at the two headquarters. 



The collections brought home belong to the zoological mu- 

 seum of the university of Stockholm, where the reptiles and the 

 batrachians have been kindly placed at my disposal. 



Snakes. 



Typhlops braminus Daud. 



BouLGR., Cat. Sn. I, p. 16. 



Four specimens from Maj unga, 150 — 160 mm. in length, 

 found under stones in a garden and in the moist earth of a 

 partly drained mangrove-marsh. Mr. Kaudern believes^the 

 species to be rather common at that place. 



