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beautiful, but it is on dead trunks and decaying stumps that one 

 sees the finest plants of all : Bolbophyllums, Angrfficum superbe 

 with its long spikes, 18 inches long, densely covered with huge 

 white flowers and A. sesquipedale with its enormous spur. Ferns 

 of all kinds abound ; tree-ferns 20 feet high ; and in the deeper 

 denser parts huge quantities of Hymenophyllum, as well as many 

 of our common forms. The silence in these huge forests is some- 

 times almost oppressive. Almost the only animals are the 

 different kinds of lemurs, whose shrill whistling bark may occa- 

 sionally be heard. Diff'erent species are adapted to play the parts 

 of monkeys, squirrels, dormice, &c., none of which exist here. The 

 larger kinds live in large bands flying from tree to tree, and feed 

 on small birds, fruit. Sec. Others live in hollows regularly hiber- 

 nating, and to do this store up their winter food in their tails, 

 which become extraordinarily fat and fleshy. Here the wild boar, 

 really a Babiroussa, spends most of his time. He wakes up 

 towards evening, and spends the night wandering about feeding 

 on the pommejacot (Imbricaria). Sometimes one comes on huge 

 fun-ows made by him when ploughing up the Lily bulbs, Dioscorea, 

 &c. Sometimes he digs up the unfortunate Tenrec, a kind of 

 hedgehog which hibernates below ground, and eats liim, but his 

 most favoured morsel is a snake. He begins at the tail and eats 

 up the snake to the head, which he always leaves untouched. 

 Towards morning he retires to a shady spot, and there makes a 

 comfortable bed, covering himself with dead leaves and grass, 

 where he slumbers till the evening. The only important carnivor- 

 ous mammals are insectivorae, the largest being the Fouche, a non- 

 descript niastiflF-like creature which one seldom sees. The 

 whole of the animals are far less specialised structurally than those 

 of the continent, Avhile in habit they seemed quite as distinct. Of 

 birds the handsomest are the Couas, with very beautiful bluish 

 plumage ; there are also hoopoes ; several kinds of pigeons, one of 

 which has a sort of whining bark very much like a small terrier ; 

 a peculiar black starling also lives in flocks, flying from tree to 

 tree. A bird called the " Tolo," a kind of cuckoo with an absurdly 

 long tail, is very common ; it is very stu^jid, and never seems to 

 realise that its tail can be seen when once it has concealed its head. 

 Still, in spite of these exceptions, it is really insects, and especially 

 butterflies, which give a little brightness and colour to the forest. 

 Fifty or sixty brilliant blue and black butterflies fluttering above 

 a little stream by the path are really a wonderful sight, and Red 



