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



very rare, only one example, shot by Mr. Crossley in the 

 Mangoro valley, being known. It is remarkable for its 

 extreme shortness of wings and immoderate length of tail. 

 But M. Grandidier doubts the existence (in Madagascar) of 

 the other alleged species, the Crested or Hawk Eagle [Spi- 

 zaetus occipitalis) , which has apparently been seen only once, 

 by Messrs. Pollen and Van Dam, on the north-west coast 

 opposite Nosifkly, but was not captured. 



Six, if not seven, species of Owl are known in Madagascar, 

 most of them being not very common ; two, however, the 

 Scops Owl and the Barn Owl, are tolerably plentiful. The 

 last mentioned appears to be exactly identical with the almost 

 world-wide and well-known bird of that name. As among 

 most other peoples, the Owl is regarded by the Malagasy as 

 a bird of ill omen ; they call it Vbrondblo, i. e., " Spirit- 

 bird,'^ thinking it an embodiment of the spirits of the wicked ; 

 and when its startling screeching cry is heard in the night, 

 they believe it to be a presage of misfortune to some one. 

 There are numerous fables and stories about the Owl, illus- 

 trating the popular dread of and dislike to the bird. The 

 Long-eared Owl of Madagascar {Asio madagascariensis) is 

 termed Vorombozaka, i. e., " Bird-of-the-dry-grass,'' from 

 its hiding among the reeds and the long grass which grows 

 so plentifully on the Imerina downs. Another provincial 

 name for the first of these birds is Vbronbnkona (or Vbronbn- 

 kind), possibly from a word {onkenina) meaning short and 

 stout. Other names of the Madagascar Owls, as Torotoroka 

 and Hanka, appear to be descriptive of their cry. The 

 Hawk Owl [Ninox superciliaris) is known by the name of 

 Tararaka ; it always sits on the ground, and is common in 

 the marshes and among long grass. M. Grandidier says 

 that the provincial name of the Scops Owl, Atoroko, means 

 "I am going to say*'"^, and that some Malagasy consider 

 it as a menace when they hear it. Like the Owls in all 

 other parts of the world, the Madagascar species are really 

 public benefactors, by keeping down the number of rats and 



* More correctly, tbro means " to point out, to direct ; " or it might be 

 from the obsolete form tbro, "crushed, bruised" (see p. 209). 



