TRANSACTIONS. 237 
by Lobelia Scevola and certain Rubiacez, and this is at times 
broken by clumps of Casuarina trees and Pandanus. The former 
is a favourite perching place for the guinea-fowl, which are found 
in large numbers along the coast. 
Every now and then one has to take to a canoe and travel up 
some sluggish river. The banks of these rivers are fringed by groups 
of Traveller's tree, Baobab and other trees, not differing so much from 
our own forms in appearance. A gigantic Arum with leaves nearly 
4 feet long is often arranged in long rows along the margins. The 
beautiful blue water lily and the yellow Limnanthemum rest on the 
surface of the water, and occasionally one finds the latticed leaves of 
the Ouvirandra, one of the curiosities of the island. The lovely little 
blue and red kingfisher may often be scen perched on the bushes, 
and occasionally darting off after some incautious fish. Looking 
over the sides of the canoe one is astonished at the quantity of 
fish that inhabit these waters, and this explains the presence of 
_ erocodiles, which in such places are extremely numerous. They 
are not really often seen, but one hears frequently of oxen caught 
by the crocodile and dragged off for assimilation, or of some un- 
fortunate woman gathering rushes who has been seized and dis- 
appeared for ever. Occasionally one rows under a group of flying 
foxes hanging by their tails. They turn their foxlike heads 
downward, expostulate vigorously, then unhook themselves and 
fly off with a strong steady flight. Such a stream ends in a wide 
lake or reedy lagoon, chiefly formed of Cyperus equalis. Along 
its sides grow huge grasses 10 or 12 feet high, and on a withered 
tree one often sees a cormorant perched with its bill in the air 
and looking sideways downwards at the canoe with a peculiarly 
_ leery expression. Such places are the chosen haunts of the 
thirteen or so species of ducks, some as big as a small goose, 
others not larger than a quail. Herons of all shapes and colours 
abound, and other kinds of waterfuwl are quite innumerable. 
- Occasionally, though rarely, one sees a flock of flamingoes drawn 
up side by side, shoulder to shoulder, in a regular military line. 
The pure white line which their bodies form is visible miles away. 
Near at hand one sees the bright scarlet wing coverts which form 
a belt halfway down the white uniform. Such lakes and sandy 
stretches form a large portion of the coast, but one soon begins to 
leave them und mount the outlying flanks of the hills. These 
form a series of gentle slopes and valleys before one enters the 
forest proper. This is the home of the Traveller’s tree, one of 
