Birds of Madagascar. 431 



of these is the Fody or Cardinal-bird (Foudia madagas- 

 cariensis), Avhich lives in companies of fi"oni six to a 

 dozen individuals, but is often seen in very large flocks 

 near the rice-fields and plantations^ where it does much 

 damage to the crops. " The Tanala, or forest people/' says 

 Mr. Baron, " during the whole time of the ripening of the 

 rice, are obliged to guard their rice-fields from the attacks of 

 these Fody by rattles and slinging of stones.^' As the rainy and 

 hot season approaches^ which is also the breeding-season with 

 the vast majority of Malagasy birds, the male Fody changes 

 colour from its ordinary sober coat of brown to a brilliant 

 scarlet, with the exception of the outer wing -feathers and the 

 tail ; so that as it darts about in the sunlight it looks like a 

 living flame. At the pairing-time, i. e, in October and 

 November, the male birds, which seem more numerous than 

 the females, pass the time in fierce conflict for the possession 

 of the hen birds. M. Pollen says : " I have sometimes seen 

 these Fody fighting with such fury that they have fallen from 

 high above the trees to the ground, still fighting as they fell. 

 At this time one may see the male bird perched on the high- 

 est part of a tree, uttering his monotonous cry of spit-spit. 

 Immediately a hen bird appears in the neighbourhood he 

 puffs out his plumage, erects his tail, and beats with his 

 wings. He then pursues the hen bird with a rapid and direct 

 flight until he either overtakes her or another male bird 

 appears on the scene. In such ease a combat ensues between 

 the two, during which the hen bird escapes. The nest has 

 almost the form of a pear, with a lateral opening, and is 

 made of fine grass attached to three or four twigs of a 

 mimosa, a tamarind, or a flamboyant tree. The eggs are 

 from four to six in number, and are greenish blue in colour. 

 The parent birds feed their young for a long time after they 

 have quitted the nest." Mr. Cory tells me : "1 once caught 

 a young Fody in a spider's web ; and Mr. Gregory obtained 

 a Kingfisher in the same way." 



Being so plentiful and conspicuous, it is not to be won- 

 dered at that the Fody, at least the male bird, or Fbdilahi- 

 mena, as they call it {i. e. " Red-male-Fody ■"), has long 



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