106 Elev. J. Sibree^ Jr., on the 



water a foot and a half or more deep. It does this for the sake 

 of the tender rootlets which are thus exposed, perhaps also for 

 insects. If caught in a snare of stout string prepared from 

 the fibre of one of the nettle-plants [Agy), it very speedily 

 frees itself by breaking the snare." 



The Crested Coot has for one of its native names that of 

 Otrika (like that of the Grey-faced Hail just mentioned), 

 doubtless from its immediately diving when alarmed. 



Proceeding to the Scolopacidae, or Snipe family, we find 

 two species of Curlew in the island ; one of them is the same 

 as the Whimbrel of Europe, the other (if distinct from the 

 European Curlew, which is sometimes doubted) is peculiar 

 to Madagascar and rare. It lives almost always isolated 

 among the other shore-birds, and frequents the sand-banks 

 along the coasts. Its cry is very loud and quite distinct from 

 that of the other and smaller species, and it is only rarely 

 found in company with it. 



The native names of these Curlews are obscure in meaning ; 

 one or two, however, as Keha and Kekakeka, are probably 

 imitative of their plaintive cry. (The latter is also a name 

 of one of the Snipes.) 



The Cape Painted Snipe is common in the marshes, but is 

 rarely seen, on account of its hiding in the long grass and 

 aquatic vegetation, so that it is difficult to obtain without 

 dogs. The flight of these birds is very rapid and in a zigzag 

 fashion, but it alights every few moments"^. They specially 

 like to frequent, in little companies of from four to six birds, 

 the places where cattle resort, for they find abundant food in 

 the deep footprints made by the oxen in the muddy soil of 

 the marshes where they pasture. The other Madagascar 

 Snipe (Bernier's) is a peculiar species. 



* Mr. Cory remarks on this statement (of M. Pollen's) : " When shoot- 

 ing I have never found this bird's flight difficult or fast, not so difficult 

 even as the large Malagasy Snipe, which is reckoned an easy shot by most 

 men. In proof of this I may state that I have only seen four, and three 

 I killed ; the fourth I fired at when very tired and on a day when I had 

 been shooting badly. I should say that for a Snipe it is particidarly slow 

 and even on the win";." 



