Birds of Madagascar. 423 



quented by a large number of these Drongos, each one re- 

 serves to itself a hunting-ground, in which he tolerates the 

 presence of no other birds, even of his own kind, not ex- 

 cepting those which are stronger than himself. When this 

 bird has seized an insect, he returns immediately with his 

 prey to the tree he had quitted. He is in the habit of warning, 

 by a certain cry, all the other birds in the neighbourhood ; so 

 that when a bird of prey appears, he darts fiercely upon him 

 and pursues him to a great distance. The nest of the Railovy 

 is, if possible, built on a branch overhanging a stream, and 

 both the male and female birds take turns in the incubation. 

 When the young are able to quit the nest they usually take 

 their places in a row, on the branch of a tree, to which the 

 parent birds come to supply them with food.^' Mr. Cowan 

 speaks of finding the Railombo " all over the Bara land, even 

 on the desolate Horombe.''^ 



The Cuckoo- Shrike {Graucalus cinereus) is also said to 

 be pretty common, going in companies of eight or ten, but 

 it is less known than the Railovy. One of its provincial 

 names ( Vorontaniomhy) seems to imply that it is an attend- 

 ant upon cattle, as are other Madagascar birds, especially 

 the White Egret or Vorompbtsy. 



Three Flycatchers are found in Madagascar; of one of them, 

 the brown-tailed species, M. Pollen says that it has a loud 

 monotonous cry of tuw, tuw, tuw. M. Grandidier, however, 

 speaks of its song as being agreeable, resembling that of the 

 Robin, and from it comes one of its names, Kitikitika. 



Another species, as its name of " Changeable " Flycatcher 

 denotes, undergoes remarkable changes of colour according 

 to its age and sex. The female bird is entirely of a reddish 

 brown, except the cap and nape, which are dark green. The 

 young male has, during the first month, the same livery as 

 the female, but its plumage soon changes to a beautiful 

 maroon-red; then very soon the two middle tail-feathers 

 become greatly lengthened, the quills being black, with 

 a white fringe ; the wing- coverts become partly white and 

 partly black ; and the feathers of the head change to dark 

 green, with brilliant metallic reflections. At the breeding- 



