MADAGASCAR (III) 253 
heard Chamberlain’s solemn declaration over the radio that war 
had been declared. 
To one who had been through the 1914-1918 war the news was 
staggering: to think that all the previous suffering was in vain 
and the whole sordid business of war had to be gone through 
again! 
It was useless to start collecting anything alive for there would 
be no means of shipping it home, and in any case it would not be 
wanted in time of war. I cancelled my trip to the lake and pre- 
sented the sifaka, which had been allowed the freedom of my 
hotel bedroom, to the small local zoo. The only other acquisition 
—a Greater Vasa Parrot—I gave to one of the hotel staff. 
The declaration of war put me in an awkward predicament for 
I had only enough funds to last a few months, especially if I 
stayed in an hotel. There was a lot of optimistic gossip going 
around to the effect that the war could not possibly last more than 
six months as all large cities would be destroyed by bombing. 
I decided to await events and to do some exploring in the wilds, 
where I could live for next to nothing. So I set off on another 
hunt for Macrotarsomys and this time made Ihosy my starting- 
point. This is about three hundred and eighty-five miles from 
Tananarive and is on the main route to the south, served by a 
weekly bus service called the Transud. The journey takes three 
days, one by train to Antsirabe and thence two days by bus. 
On arrival I engaged three porters and then set out on foot to 
the north in order to traverse the southern portion of the country 
I had omitted to explore previously. 
To the east of the River Ihosy there is a valley some six miles 
wide bordered by a range of hills, and along this valley we pro- 
ceeded more or less parallel to the river. The territory is less difh- 
cult than that farther north, there being wide stretches of flattish 
country separating definite chains of hills, instead of a disorderly 
mass of hills and ravines. 
Inquiries were made at native villages en route in the hope of 
getting some information about Macrotarsomys, but without avail. 
This was not without its amusing side, and I remember the Chief 
