208 Eev. J. Sibree, Jr., on the 



" Quairs-head-breaker/^ It is almost always seen in couples, 

 the male and female birds together. Fandrasalamho, " Wild- 

 boar-butcher/'' is the name given to another species o£ Harrier 

 Hawk ; and this (as well as Fandrasa) is also a provincial name 

 of the Lesser Peregrine, or Voromahery, above mentioned. 

 A Goshawk is called Fandrasangara, an obscure name as 

 regards the latter portion of the word, but clear enough as to 

 its first part. (Perhaps this name refers to its tinting, from a 

 root ngara, " of mixed colour.^') 



Others, again, of these Hawks are kno^n by the name of 

 Hindry or Fariindry, words either from a root tsindry, "to 

 press down,^' or from another root liiiidry, " to pounce on,'' 

 and probably referring to their pursuit of, and swooping down 

 upon, their prey. These are names of the Short-winged 

 Buzzard, and also of the Madagascar Cuckoo Falcon (both 

 already mentioned). Mr. Cory observes that " Hindribe- 

 manana is a common name for these birds along the eastern 

 side of the forest. The ' Hmdry' is often dropped, and 

 Bemanana C^ Having-much') is alone used. They do not 

 ' pursue ' their prey, to speak witli strict accuracy, but 

 'pounce' on it when on the ground." 



The long pinions aud quill-feathers of the Grey Hobby 

 {Falco concolor), projecting even beyond the tail, are noticed 

 in its name of Lavelatra, i. e., " Long-wings." These birds 

 only appear in Madagascar in the rainy season, coming from 

 Africa in pursuit of the clouds of locusts which frequently 

 cross the Mozambique Channel, and on which they principally 

 feed. Their flight is rapid, like that of a Swallow, and they 

 may be seen pursuing the locusts as the Swallows do gnats. 

 A Sakalava name of this bird is Tsiasara, i. e., " Not-found- 

 in-the-dry-season ; " aud another provincial name is Fandran- 

 tsambary, i, e., " Pruner-(or cleaner-) of- rice," because it feeds 

 on the locusts, the plague of the rice-fields. 



It will be seen that this group of rapacious birds presents 

 good examples of the Malagasy power of giving striking and 

 appropriate descriptive names to the living creatures of their 

 country. Some of their names, however, as Pbmpa, Rehila, 

 Tinbro, &c., are still obscure; for explanation of these we 



