Birds of Madagascar. 199 



The lists of birds to be given, together with their native 

 names, both Hova and provincial, are taken in the main from 

 a small quarto pamphlet of eight pages published by the 

 Rev. W. Deans Cowan some years ago. But I understand 

 that the scientific information there brought together was 

 partly due to that accomplished German naturalist, Dr. J. M. 

 Hildebrandt, whose death in 1881 was such a loss to science 

 and to our scientific knowledge of Madagascar, especially in 

 its connection with Africa. This list, however, has been 

 completely rearranged, according to the Natural Orders, and 

 to it I have added other particulars from later information, 

 especially from M. Grandidier's work. In the classification 

 of the Madagascar avifauna, now, I believe, done for the first 

 time in English, I have followed the arrangement laid down 

 by Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, and adopted by him in his treat- 

 ment of the Birds in ' Cassell's New Natural History/ 

 vols. iii. and iv. In the nomenclature of genera and species 

 I have chiefly followed M. Grandidier, as the first authority 

 on these points as regards the ornithology of Madagascar. 



In Mr. Cowan^s paper the native names by which most of 

 the birds of the island are known in different parts of the 



cBaracter of the Madagascar avifauna. The 35 peculiar genera, most of 

 which possess great interest from an ornithological point of view, are : 

 (1) Coracopsis among the Parrots ; (2) Eutriorchis, a Harrier-Eagle; 

 (3) Heliodilus, an abnormal Barn-Owl ; (4) Cbwa, Lark-heeled Cuckoos ; 

 (5) Leptoso7nus and (6) Brachypteracias, which connect the Rollers and 

 the Bee-eaters ; (7) Neodrepmiis, a Sun-bird ; (8) Philepitta, a Paradise- 

 bird ; (9) Falculia, an aberrant form of Starling ; (10) Hartlaubia, be- 

 tween the Starlings and the Thrushes; (11) Hypositta, a Nuthatch; 

 (12) Eroessa, (13) Ellisia, (14) Dromceocerciis, and (15) 3fystaconiis, all 

 species of Warblers ; (16) Thamnornis, a Tailor-bird ; (17) Bernieria, 

 (18) Oxylabes, (19) Crossleyia, species of Babbling Thrushes ; (20) Tylas, 

 a Bulbul; (21) Netvtonia and (22) Pseudohias, genera of flycatchers; 

 (23 to 29) Artamia, Cyauolanius, Leptopterus, Lantzia, Oriola, Vanga, 

 and Xenopirostris, Passerine birds allied to E. Indian, Australian, and 

 Polynesian species ; (30) Euryceros, a very remarkable bird allied to 

 the Orioles ; (31) Calicalicus, a Butcher-bird ; (32) Funinyus, a Pigeon ; 

 (33) Lophotibis, a Crested Ibis ; (34) Mesites, very curious birds among 

 the Waders ; and, lastly, (35) Margaroperdu:, a Partridge, allied to the 

 Quails. 



