420 Rev. J. Sibrce_, Jr.^ on Ihe 



perciliaris) ." " Just at the crossing I got another of the 

 Coua Cuckoos (Taitso)." "On the way to the next village 

 we passed a small marsh on which were numbers of Muscovy 

 Ducksj and among the long grass in the valley the Guinea- 

 fowl were seen in hundreds." 



Referring to my observations in the preceding paragraphs, 

 Mr. Cory* says: — " I think the want of bird-life in Mada- 

 gascar is very marked when compared with England. I was 

 very much struck with this scarcity of life in the woods on 

 my first arrival. I have been in the forest at all times of the 

 year, and although your remarks are very true, and there are 

 a good many birds in summer, yet, if you try bird^s-nesting 

 here, you will soon find out how few and far between the 

 nests are. Every now and then a small flock of birds, as you 

 describe, comes and twitters round you, but even then they 

 are not many.^' 



I agree with Mr. Cory iu the general accuracy of his state- 

 ment; all I wished to show was that there is not such a 

 complete want of bird-life in the Madagascar woods as is 

 sometimes affirmed. From what M. Pollen and other 

 travellers describe, the avifauna of the west side of the island 

 must be far more abundant than is that of the interior. 



The first bird in the arrangement of the Order Passeres 

 is the White-necked Crow ; and although he can by no 

 means be reckoned as a song-bird, he is a very prominent 

 member of the avifauna of Imerina — indeed, of the whole of 

 Madagascar, — and must therefore have a few words of de- 

 scription. This Crow — called Gociika by the Malagasy, pro- 

 bably from its harsh croak — is larger than a Magpie, with 

 glossy black plumage, but with a collar of pure white, and a 

 square white patch on his breast, so that he has a very clei'ical 

 apjjearance, and is not nearly so sombre and undertaker-like 

 as his English cousin. The Gokika is very common every- 

 where, being often seen in large numbers, especially near the 

 markets, where he picks up a living from the refuse and the 



* The Rev. C. P. Cory, B.A., of tlie S. P. G. Mission in Madagascar, 

 to whom I am greatly indebted for much valuable information and criti- 

 ci8ni in these papers. 



