VARIETY OF FISH 39 



distances to which volcanic products may be carried by ocean 

 currents, but also throws light upon the way in which the 

 ancestors of the Malagasy came across the three thousand miles 

 of sea which separate Madagascar from Malaysia. It is easy to 

 understand how, in prehistoric times, single prahus, or even 

 a small fleet of them, were occasionally driven westward by a 

 hurricane, and that the westerly current aided in this, until at 

 length these vessels were stranded or gained shelter on the coast 

 of Madagascar, stretching north and south, as it does, for a 

 thousand miles. From what I have been told, the pumice 

 was found, if not everywhere on the east coast, at any rate 

 over a considerable extent of it. 



We were up soon after four o'clock on the following morning, 

 and started while it was still twilight. After going a short 

 distance through the woods we came again to the seashore, and 

 proceeded for some miles close to the waves, which broke 

 repeatedly over our bearers' feet as they tramped on the firm 

 wet sand. For a considerable distance there was only a low 

 bank of sand between the salt water of the ocean and the fresh 

 water of the lake. In many places the opposite shore showed 

 good sections of the strata, apparently a red sandstone, with a 

 good deal of quartz rock. We left the sea again and went on 

 through the woods, a sharp shower coming on as we entered 

 them. We did not notice any fish in the lagoons, but I was 

 afterwards informed by a correspondent, Mr J. G. Connorton, 

 who lived for several years at Mananjara, and paid much atten- 

 tion to natural history, that there is a great variety of fish, 

 crustaceans and mulluscs in the lagoons and rivers, as well as 

 in the sea. He kindly sent me a list of about one hundred and 

 twenty of these, together with many interesting particulars as 

 to their habits and appearance, etc. From this account I will 

 give a few extracts : 



" Ambdtovdzana, a sea-fish which comes also into the entrance 

 of the rivers ; it has silvery scales and yellow fins. In both 

 upper and lower jaws are four rows of teeth very like pebbles ; 

 these are for crushing crabs, its usual food. Its name is derived 

 from its peculiarly shaped teeth (vdto, stone ; vdzana, molar 

 teeth). Botdla, a small sea and river fish ; it is covered all over 

 with rough prickles. These fish inflate their bodies by filling 

 their stomachs with air as soon as they are taken out of the 



