Birds of Madagascar. 107 



The Curlew Sandpiper is found in considerable nnmbcrs on 

 the coast; but M, Pollen says that he has never observed it 

 before October^ or later than that month, so that he believes 

 that this bird is not a permanent resident in Madagascar, 

 but only rests here a few weeks in migrating to and from 

 other regions. 



The Sandpiper found in Madagascar appears to differ in no 

 respect at all from the species spread so widely over the Old 

 World, and is one of the most common shore-birds. It is 

 almost always met with either singly or in couples, and is 

 very easily recognized by the piercing cry which it constantly 

 utters, moving its tail up and down, and running quickly 

 along the shore in search of aquatic insects. The cock bird, 

 in courting the female, has the habit of marching round and 

 round her, trailing his wings on the ground, and bobbing his 

 head up and down, while the hen bird remains motionless, 

 observing the antics of her mate. Bishop Kcstell-Cornish 

 remarks : " It is curious to observe how these various [shore] 

 birds seem to preserve their habits unchanged in Avhatever 

 part of the globe they may be found. The Sandpiper is just 

 the same confiding little creature in Madagascar as in Eng- 

 land, differing from the birds that haunt our shores and the 

 banks of our rivers only in greater variety of species. And 

 the Curlew retains the same wild cry, and the same objection 

 to finding himself within gun-range, as in England.^' 



The Stilt-Plover found in Madagascar appears to resem- 

 ble the European species. Its native names of Tapala and 

 Takapala probably refer to its straddling and awkward gait. 



Some other of the native names for this family may be 

 here noticed. Thus, that of Tbitby, given both to the Curlew 

 and Common Sandpiper, is said to be an imitative one. The 

 latter bird's habits, both on land and water, are noticed in 

 its other names of Fandlafdsika, " Sand-stepper/' and Saosao- 

 drano, " Water-skimmer ; " and it is also called Manaboan- 

 drano, ''That-which-celebrates-the-day." It is known by 

 still another name, viz. K^boranto, probably meaning the 

 '' Far-running-Quail." The Curlew Sandpiper is also called 

 Kiboandrano, '^ Water- Quail." The name of Ravar ava ^ixeii 



