Birds of Madagascar. 197 



Meller, among English naturalists, and by the Dutch travel- 

 lers Pollen, Van Dam, and Van der Henst, who, together 

 with some others, have made important collections. 



Madagascar possesses a considerable number of genera and 

 species of birds peculiar to itself : 35 genera and 129 species, 

 distributed among 54 families. The result of a detailed 

 study of the Malagasy avifauna is, says M. Grandidier, "that 

 it has a very specialized character, and that, notwithstanding 

 the small distance which separates Madagascar from the 

 African continent, its affinities are much greater with the 

 extreme East than with Africa; since, if we leave on one 

 side all the birds of powerful flight, there are about twice as 

 many more allied to Oriental than to African species, besides 

 which the greater part of the characteristic genera of Africa 

 are entirely wanting. 



"It is now known that Madagascar comprises three 'Regions,' 

 which are very distinct in their physical aspect, their geological 

 formation, their vegetation, and their climate. These are : 



(1) the Region of the East and North-west, which is moun- 

 tainous, damp, and covered with wood, or with herbaceous 

 plants of greater or less size, according to the localities ; 



(2) the Central Elevated Region, which is very bare and 

 rugged, almost entirely destitute of trees and shrubs [except 

 small patches of forest, still left in a few places, and on the 

 margins of the rivers, and in the inhabited portions] , and 

 where a bad coarse herbage scarcely covers the clayey soil of 

 deep red ; and (3) the Region of the West and South, which 

 is flat, dry, and sandy, with here and there small woods and 

 thinly scattered trees. The centre of the island contains only 

 few birds, almost all of powerful flight, principally Birds 

 of Prey, Swifts, Swallows, and Water-birds ; in fact, these 

 are regions which can give harbour to only a few animals. 



" The birds which are most commonly seen in the central 

 portions of Madagascar are Kestrels, Kites, Owls, Swifts, 

 and Kingfishers, the two last-named along the numerous 

 water-courses ; Swallows, Crows, Larks, Cardinal-birds, 

 Herons, and Egrets near the rice-fields ; and Wild Ducks, 

 Wild Geese, and Divers in the marshes and lakes. We 



