MADAGASCAR (III) 245 
Castle steamer, and arrangements made for accommodation of 
the livestock, so as to get me back before the advent of winter. 
In Tananarive, the capital, my first concern was to find out the 
quickest and most convenient way of getting to the west coast 
forest that lies between the Tsiribihina and Morondava Rivers, 
this being the type locality of the Giant Rat. I was told that the 
only way to get there and back, short of wasting weeks in waiting, 
was to hire a car, which would also facilitate my explorations. 
This was soon arranged and I came to terms with a local garage 
proprietor to supply me with an American car and native driver, 
at so much a kilometer. 
Madagascar, owing to its mountainous nature and great size, 
and also its language problems, can be rather overwhelming to the 
new arrival. It takes time to become familiar with the geography 
of the place, and with the ways and means of getting to the forests, 
which for the most part are difficult of access, but fortunately I was 
able to profit by the valuable experience gained during two pre- 
vious visits to the island. 
Formerly the whole of Madagascar was covered with forest, 
except for the extreme south and southwest, where for a long 
period the arid conditions have permitted only a scrub-like vege- 
tation to flourish. Forest destruction has gone on for centuries and 
is continuing to the extent that much of the fauna seems doomed 
to an early extinction. The native method of cultivation, annual 
grass fires, and commercial exploitation are responsible for the 
destruction of large tracts of primitive forest in which the indige- 
nous mammals abide. Most of these have specialized require- 
ments and do not favor second growth, savanna or prairie. 
Unfortunately, owing to special conditions prevailing in Mada- 
gascar, a forest once destroyed has little or no chance of reéstab- 
lishing itself. 
The country in the east and center is extremely hilly and could 
be aptly termed chaotic. This region, commonly called the central 
plateau, comprises a vast area of grassland between the eastern 
and western escarpments and is situated at an altitude of from 
three thousand to six thousand feet. It is dominated by numerous 
peaks, parts of which have a distinctly melancholy aspect which 
gives the impression sometimes that one is getting a close-up view 
