MADAGASCAR (III) 257 
in mid-air. I also employed several home-made cage-traps con- 
sisting mainly of wire netting in which any captive specimen 
could not be harmed. 
The insectivores, known collectively as tenrecs, are, with the 
exception of the Spiny Tenrecs, most difficult creatures to collect. 
They live almost entirely on live insects and are not attracted to 
bait. Any form of animal food put on a trap is immediately cov- 
ered with ants and is then unattractive. The capture of the smaller 
Shrew-like Tenrecs is, more often than not, quite accidental. They 
live invariably in the most precipitous parts of the forest where 
there are projecting roots and narrow shelves to run along, but 
most of their food is undoubtedly gained under these numerous 
roots. 
Once a native who was clearing some bush on a slope near his 
hut in the forest to plant taro, dug up two live Pygmy Tenrecs 
out of the ground, and brought them to me, but in years I only 
caught two in traps. 
One of the most enjoyable aspects of this first long stay in the 
evergreen forests was observing the bird-life. Almost daily I saw 
specimens of the Scaly Ground Roller and Pitta-like Ground 
Roller, both gorgeous birds, which, as the name of one suggests, 
are much like the pittas in habits and appearance. 
A further example of the peculiarity of Madagascar bird-life is 
provided by the philepittas, which are strictly arboreal, while 
their relatives—the pittas of Africa and the Far East—are all ter- 
restrial. Of the two species of philepittas, the one inhabiting the 
eastern forests is called the Velvet Pitta. I first noticed these ex- 
quisite birds in a tree that was laden with small berries, and found 
that they arrived about the same time every afternoon to feed. 
Being anxious to see what a live philepitta looked like at close 
quarters, I set a flue net in the tree, and within half an hour 
captured two males. The plumage of these is velvety black con- 
trasting with a splash of yellow at the bend of the wing; and 
another striking feature is the bright blue fleshy carbuncle above 
each eye. In all there is a very marked resemblance to the Wattled 
Birds-of-paradise (Paradigalla) of New Guinea. The female is 
very dull by comparison, being more or less olive green all over 
with the under parts splashed with yellow. 
