BIRD-LIFE IN THE FOREST 97 



midnight before we got back to our hotel. 

 However, at six o'clock next morning we were 

 ready for an excursion into the big forest, and, 

 after a time, our friends, who were to accompany 

 us, arrived. An hour's walk brought us to the 

 forest, and on entering it we followed for several 

 miles a broad path, which was made by the 

 Foreign Legion many years ago, and extends for 

 twenty miles. The forest was full of life ; 

 brilliant butterflies fluttered over the vegetation 

 bordering the path, and numerous birds flitted 

 through the trees. The vegetation was so dense 

 that the only way I was able to get specimens 

 at all was by shooting those which came into the 

 trees overhanging the path. Pigeons* and black 

 parrots appeared to be numerous ; and in the dense 

 growth of bushes near the path there were reed- 

 warblers of a species called Bernieria madagasca- 

 riensis, peculiar to Madagascar. I had some 

 difficulty at first in seeing the latter, as they 

 rarely showed themselves, and the call-note, a 

 deep " churr," was quite ventriloquial in effect. 

 Flocks of white-eyesf were flying from tree to 

 tree, searching for insects ; their clear calls re- 

 sounded from all sides, but owing to the great 

 height of the trees they were usually out of range, 

 and I only obtained one example. One of the 

 most striking birds was the grey-headed love-bird, J 



* Alectroenas madagascariensis. f Zosterops madagascariensis. 



J Agapornis cana. 



