Birds of Madagascar. 223 



bills, Motmots, Trogons, and Humming-birds, we must go 

 to other parts of the world. 



1. The Kingfishers are represented by two species, the first 

 of which [Corythornis cristata), of lovely purplish blue, with 

 yellow and buff breast and belly, is very common wherever 

 water is to be found. With short blunt tail and long beak, 

 it may be seen perched on the zozbro or other aquatic plants, 

 or darting over the streams and marshes, flying in a curious 

 jerking manner, like a flash of purple light, pursuing the 

 insects which form its food. In colouring this Kingfisher 

 is not very unlike our English species. Mr. Cory notes 

 here that " the Madagascar Kingfisher is much less attached 

 to the water than is the English species. I have seen it 

 sitting happily in a gum-tree in our garden, and have once 

 seen one caught in a spider's web a long way from the water." 



Its very general name of Vmtsy does not throw much light 

 on the habits or peculiarities of this beautiful little King- 

 fisher. By some tribes it is also called Vbrombbla, " Money 

 (or Silver)-bird ; " and some native superstitions have become 

 connected with it ; thus we find it said that, " The Vmtsy 

 and the black moth are dead people who have been changed 

 into animals. The common people reverence them and say 

 that they ai'e their ancestors ''*. And again, they say : " If 

 you take the nest of a Vintsy you become bald ; if that of a 

 Takatra (the Tufted Stork) you become a leper." 



The other Madagascar species of this family, the Rose- 

 cheeked Kingfisher, is a little bird in a livery of bright yel- 

 lowish red, the throat and underparts of the body being white. 

 Its tail and wings are almost comically short, and it is much 

 less common than its purple cousin, being only found in 

 certain parts of the island, and in the woods, as its name of 

 Vintsiala ("forest" Vintsy) denotes. By the Taimoro its 

 name is personified by the prefix Ra-, Ravintsy. 



2. The single species of Hoopoe found in Madagascar 

 ( Upupa marginata) is, like others of the same genus found 

 in the Old World, a handsome bird, both from its beautiful 

 colouring and us prominent crest of feathers. But it does 



•» See 'Specimens of Malagasy Folk-lore ' (Antananarivo), p. 292. 



b2 



