112 Rev. J. Sibree, Jr., on the 



potsy perched ou a crooked branch : I spy him, but he keeps 

 his eye on me." 



As for the native names of the other Herons, ahnost all 

 are known by the generic name of Vano, either in its simple 

 form or compounded with other words. This word Vano 

 seems to be from a Malayan and Javan word, bango, a 

 heron, but what is its original meaning is unknown. Another 

 widely-spread provincial name for these birds is Langbro or 

 Dangoro, also often found in a compound form. Thus we 

 have F<7n^Z«yizYr«, " Sky-Heron "; Vanohe and Langorobe, 

 ''Great-Heron^'; Vanomainty snad Dangoromainty, "Black- 

 Heron^'; and Vanofbtsy and Langbrofbtsy , "White-Heron." 

 And so again: Langbruvalafa, "Palm-Heron"; Dangbro- 

 vuana, "Insect-Heron"; and Fbtsielatra, "White-wings." 

 The bird known by this last name has also the queer name 

 of Fangalimdtivbay , which may be translated ' Crocodiles' 

 eye-cleaner;" so that this bird probably is one of those that 

 do the same kind offices for the crocodiles that the Vbrom- 

 pbtsy does for the oxen. Again, the Squacco Heron is called 

 Fiandrivbditatatra, i. e. " Waiter-at-the-foot-of-the-f urrows" ; 

 while another is called Vbrompatsa, "Shrimp-bird;'^ and 

 another, Voronbsy, "Marsh-bird" or Goat-bird." 



(2) The family of the Storks contains in Madagascar 

 three species, one of them peculiar to the island. The most 

 well-known bird of this family is the Takatra or Tufted 

 Umbre, a brown long-legged Stork, frequently seen in the 

 marshes and rice-fields of Im^rina, as well as in other parts 

 of the country. This bird builds an extraordinarily large 

 nest, which is visible at a considerable distance. It is placed 

 either on the fork of a large tree, or, perhaps more fre- 

 quently^ on the very edge of overhanging rocks, and is com- 

 posed of sticks and plastered inside with a thick lining of 

 mud. It is from 4^ to 6 feet in diameter, dome-shaped, 

 with a lateral entrance, and is divided into three chambers, 

 in one of which its two large eggs are laid. The entrance is 

 by a narrow tunnel on a level with the bottom, and is always 

 placed in such a position as to be difficult of access, though 

 the nest itself may bo quite easy to approach. Pro])ably 



