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



})rovince in the year 1874, 1 was much astonished at the 

 immense numbers of Water-fowl we saw in every direction. 

 Large clouds of them flew overhead as we crossed the marshy 

 tracts^ almost darkening the air. 



An intelligent native who lived for three or four years in 

 Antsihanaka thus describes the bird-life of the Alaotra and 

 its neighbourhood : — 



"The birds/^ he says, "are exceedingly numerous, but 

 those which go in the largest flocks ai'c the Tahia (a Tree- 

 Duck) and the Tsirh'y (an allied species). These are found 

 in great abundance and go in flocks of from three to four 

 hundred; so tliat at evening, when they settle down along 

 the shoi'c, one cannot walk by the water-side, for the ground 

 is black with them. Next to these in numbers are the birds 

 called Vorontsara (a species of Dwarf Goose) and Sadakely 

 (a kind of Duck). These also go in flocks, but in smaller 

 numbers, from twenty to thirty together. There are also 

 other birds which go in flocks, but do not always remain on 

 the lake, visiting it only in the summer and autumn; these 

 are called Sama (a species of Flamingo). The S^ma is a 

 white bird, of beautifnl plumage, tinged with light-pink 

 shades. It is nearly twice the size of a Heron and stands 

 much higher ; it is found in lines along the shore, like a file 

 of soldiers, and there it seeks its food. There are also many 

 other birds on the Alaotra, such as the Arbsy, the Faralam- 

 botra, and the Angaka (all species of Duck), the Otrika 

 (a Coot), the Talevana (a Blue Waterhen), the Vurombe- 

 mainty (a Heron) , the Famakislfotra (an Ibis), the Miom- 

 bonkbmana, the Vivy (Lesser Grebe), and the Kitanotano (the 

 name both of a Snipe and a Curlew). The bird called 

 Mibmbonkomana , when feeding, covers up its head with both 

 wings until it has finished." 



Of the Tsiriry Tree-Duck {Dendrocygna viduata), which 

 is common also to Tropical America and to Africa, M. Pollen 

 says that " it is extremely plentiful in Madagascar, the Como- 

 ros, and the smaller neighbouring islands. At Anorontsknga I 

 have seen a flock of a hundred of these Dticks on the sea-shore 

 among other crowds of aquatic birds. They are very difficult 



