Birds of Madagascar. 221 



Tololio is imitative of its mellow flute-like whistle^ whicli 

 consists of several notes running down the scale. M. Gran- 

 didier says it may be seen about the villages leaping, or 

 rather gliding, from branch to branch in the clumps of 

 bamboos or in the spiny bushes, cocking its tail and expand- 

 ing its short wings. It seeks damp and marshy places by 

 rivers, where it finds its food of insects, larvae, and mollusks. 

 But it also feeds on small birds and quadrupeds. Its flight 

 is heavy, but it is an indefatigable climber, its thick plumage 

 serving as armour against the spiny branches of the shrubs. 

 The voice of the female bird is deeper and stronger than that 

 of the male. Its nest is a ball, or rough and dome-shaped, 

 with a lateral opening, hardly big enough for the bird to go 

 in and out. The eggs, five or six in number, are small and 

 like those of a Starling's, long and of a uniform white. 



This Cuckoo is considered a sacred bird by one of the 

 principal tribes of Menabe (west coast). M. Grandidier 

 says that having on one occasion shot one of these birds at 

 Tsimanandrafozana, he was obliged, in order not to grieve 

 the family, to leave the body of the bird, which was imme- 

 diately reverently buried. The reason of the extreme respect 

 in which these Skkalava hold the Toloho is as follows : " One 

 of their ancestors, who was fearlessly swimming across the 

 river Tsijobonina, was caught on the way by a crocodile. It 

 is well known that these fearful reptiles do not devour their 

 prey on the shore, but carry it to their lurking-places under 

 or close to the water, sp that it may become half putrid before 

 being eaten there. Our hero was carried, quite senseless, to 

 a large hole in the bank of the stream, which served as the 

 habitual retreat of the monster, and which the ebbing tide 

 had left partly dry. It was from this fortunate chance that 

 the victim's head was left just above the surface of the 

 water. Suddenly he was roused from his torpor by the 



identification. It is not at all uncommon in Imerina. The cry of the 

 two varieties is the same. There is a Betsimisaraka saying that ' if you 

 throw a Toloho over the house, you will be able to roast it.' If you 

 do not do this, they say, it all runs to grease, and you only get the bare 

 bones." 



SER. VI. VOL. III. R 



