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which flies in flocks of thirty or forty in the rice-fiolds 

 of which the male is a brilliant scarlet (during the 

 breeding season only, the breast alone is scarlet), 

 whilst the female is sober brown ; and several Necta- 

 rinidce, or sun-birds, of beautiful brilliant metallic 

 hues. There is a large dark blue Cuckoo, and another 

 which is a blackish glossy green, with a very long 

 tail, forked at the extremity ; a very intelligant slaty 

 black Parrot and another dark green one ; some bright 

 green Parroquets about the size of love-birds, that fly 

 in flocks ; and a large Crow, with a white collar and 

 a white breast. Of plainer coloured Perching Types, 

 Thrustes, Pigeons, Goat-suckers, Wag-tails, Swallows 

 and Swifts are represented. About the lakes, and in 

 the marches there are numerous Grallce {waders) and 

 Gallince [pouUrij-birds] , such as Ducks, Waterhens, 

 Sand-pipers, Quails, Cluinea-fowls, Herons, Storks and 

 Ibises ; so that Madagascar is a country where a 

 sportsman can find plenty of occupation. Of charac- 

 teristic African types, Mr Wallace enumerates the 

 Plantain-eaters, Glossy Starlings, Oxpeckers, Barbets, 

 Hong-guides, Hornbills and Bustards as being entirely 

 absent ; as is the case also with several of the striking 

 Asiatic and Polynesian types, such as the Trogons, 

 Golden-pheasants and Birds of Paradise. At the pre- 

 sent day there is no Ostrich, Emu or Cassowary known 

 in Madagascar ; but the bones have been found of at 

 least three Struthionidce (Ostrich family), one of which, 

 the Aepyornisy had an egg a foot long, and nine 



