observed in Madagascar. 171 



The nest was an enormous mass of sticks, grass, roots, and 

 rushes, at least four feet high by three feet wide, and even then 

 was unfinished. It was situated in the fork of a tree, ten or 

 twelve feet from the ground. In this almost treeless part of the 

 country there are generally small scrubby clumps of low trees 

 near each village, and it was in one of these that this nest was 

 placed. 



" On my return from the capital I found four nests of this 

 bird close together in one clump of trees. Three of them were 

 in the same tree ; the fourth on another, which had been par- 

 tially blown down, and not more than six feet from the ground. 

 It was with some difficulty that I climbed over the nest; and so 

 solidly was it built, that it bore my weight. There were two 

 entrances to this nest (the others had only one each) ; and not- 

 withstanding the great size of the edifice, the chamber within 

 hardly appeared large enough to contain its future tenants." — 

 S.R. 



59. LoPHOTiBTS CRisTATA (GmcHn), Hartl. p. 76. " Tche- 

 coo-coohoo." 



" These birds were occasionally met with in the jungle and 

 belt of forest along the sea-coast in the neighbourhood of Foule 

 Point. I obtained a fine male specimen in the Mango-tope 

 which surrounds the kiug^s house at the above-mentioned place. 

 It had evidently come to visit a female kept in captivity there. 

 I had an opportunity of seeing this latter feed, which it did by 

 boring its bill into the soft earth, and thence extracting, with 

 great dexterity, the worms, its principal food. There did not 

 appear to be much difference between the sexes. The flesh of 

 these birds is exceedingly good. Iris golden brown ; naked skin 

 round the eye reddish flesh-colour; bill pale pea-green." — E. N. 



60. NuMENius PH^opus (Liuu.), Hartl. p. 77. " Masha- 

 vazan." 



Common along the coast, but not very numerous. 



61. ? Tringoides hypoleucus (Linn.), Hartl. p. 77. 



We several times saw what we believed to be the Common 

 Sandpiper of Europe, and some specimens were shot, but, unfor- 



N 2 



