684 Mr. M. J. Nicoll on the Birds collected and 



The Sandwich Tern was met with in small numbers, in 

 company with Sterna media, on the edge of the mangrove 

 swamps. 



Sterna media Horsf. 



Sterna media Saunders, Cat. B. B. M. xxv. p. 86. 



Two adult males. 



This was the commonest Tern on Mayotte. 



From Mayotte we steamed to Diego Suarez, Madagascar, 

 where we remained from March 4th to March 9th. We made 

 a two days' excursion to the Foret d'Ambre, the largest 

 forest in Madagascar, which extends for six hundred miles 

 and swarms with birds, though, owing to the extraordinary 

 density of the vegetation, it is exceedingly difficult to find 

 them when shot. 



The Governor of Diego Suarez most kindly placed a 

 special train( drawn by mules) at our disposal. The distance 

 to the forest was about thirty-six miles, all up hill. 



I collected examples of the following twelve species in 

 Madagascar. We saw many interesting birds besides, which 

 we were unable to get — Black Parrots (Coracopsis vasa), 

 Pigeons (Alectrcenas madagascariends) ,&c. ; and coming back 

 in the train we observed several Guinea-fowls [Numida) 

 and a Madagascar Cat. 



ZOSTEROPS MADAGASCARIENSIS Gill. 



Zosterops madagascariensis Gadow, Cat. B. B. M. ix. 

 p. 170. 



One adult male. 



I saw a number of Madagascar White- eyes in the forest, 

 but was unable to obtain more than one specimen. They 

 kept to the tall trees, and were not easy to see amongst the 

 leaves. 



Cisticola cherina Smith. 



Cisticola cherina Sharpe, Cat. B. B. M. vii. p. 264. 



One male and two females, adult. 



