274 On Birds observed in Madagascar. 



nest close by. Iris hazel, skin round the eye bluish grey, beak 

 bluish lead-colour, legs black. 



27. DicRURUs FORFiCATUS (Linn.) ; Hartl. p. 49. 



Seen from the coast up to the Alanamasaotra forest. 



" I found a nest of this bird when passing the forest on Octo- 

 ber 27th ; it was suspended in the fork of a tall bush, as an 

 Oriole's would be, and was composed of a stiff hairy kind of 

 grass, neatly interwoven, without any softer lining. It contained 

 three salmon-coloured eggs, spotted, chiefly at the larger end, 

 with dull red and ash-colour, some of the spots having a ' pen- 

 umbra ' as in the eggs of the Chaffinch, the spots almost 

 forming a circle. They are altogether Shrike-like in appearance. 

 Long diam. 1 inch, transverse diam. -70 inch. 



" So intent was the mother in hatching them, that she would 

 not leave the nest until the boy who climbed the tree almost 

 laid his hand on her. 



" I have seen this little bird attack with such fierceness a Kite 

 which hovered too close to its nesting-place, as to make the 

 latter beat a quick retreat. They have a curious habit of 

 darting to the surface of a stream, striking it with their wings, 

 and ascending to a bush on the opposite side; they keep this up 

 in pairs, sometimes for twenty minutes, crossing and recrossing 

 each other, probably catching flies or aquatic insects in the 

 water."— S. R. 



28. Cyanolanius bicolor (Linn.) ; Hartl. p. 49. 



One was brought to Dr. Roch alive at Antananarivo. It fed 

 freely on flies. 



29. Vanga curvirostris (Gmelin) ; Hartl. p. 51. " Vooram- 

 banga." 



Obtained near the coast. 



30. CoRvus MADAGASCARiENSis (Bouaparte) ; Hartl. p. 52. 

 " Quork.'' 



Very common everywhere, with the exception of the forest. 

 They usually keep in small parties of six or seven to twenty, 

 much as the Hooded Crow does in Europe. Their cry is very 

 like the spring note of the Rook, and it was with no small 

 pleasure that we again heard the familiar sound. We found a 



