PARROTS. 51 



a bright red, witli yellow beak and claws ; a green head, from 

 which the long plume of white and green feathers lies back." 

 The white egret, called by the people vbromrpotsy, a small bird 

 of pure white, with long legs, neck, and beak, is very common 

 on the coast and in the marshes of the interior. On the 

 coast large flocks may be seen following the herds of cattle 

 for the sake of the ticks and flies, being often perched on 

 the backs or necks of the oxen. Wlien living at Ambolii- 

 manga, we used to be interested every evening during the 

 cold seasons in watching the arrival of a large flock of these 

 birds, about four hundred in number. During the day they 

 were feeding in the marshes a few miles south, but at sunset 

 they came altogether and settled for a few minutes in a wide 

 open space of ground about a quarter of a mile distant in 

 front of our house. Having apparently rested from their 

 flight, the leader rose, then the whole flock, and flew steadily 

 round to the north-west side of the lofty hill on which 

 Ambohimanga is built, where they roosted in the trees on the 

 lee side, sheltered from the cold south-east trade-wind. In 

 summer they seemed to remain day and night in their feed- 

 ing-grounds. 



Perching Birds. — In the forests a slaty-black parrot and 

 also a dark-green species {Coracopsis obscura and nigra) are 

 often seen. The former is very intelligent and easily taught 

 to talk. In the more open country, in the warmer parts of 

 the island, flocks of small bright-green parroquets are 

 frequently met with. They are about the size, and not 

 much unlike, the love-birds so common in cages in England. 

 The family of the cuckoos is well represented in Madagascar ; 

 the most conspicuous is a large bird of dark blue, with a long 

 tail {Coua cccruUa T) ; it has a slow, heavy flight, and is 

 frequently seen in the w^oods. Another bird {Dicrurus Wal- 

 deni) is of a blackish glossy green, with extremely long tail, 

 bifurcated at the extremity. 



Some of the smaller birds found plentifully in the open 

 moory hills of the interior are interesting examples of the 

 "survival of the fittest" by protective resemblance to the 

 surrounding vegetation. As there is no rain for six or seven 

 months during the dry season, the grass, as may be readily 



