~J 
1896.] | ON A ZOOLOGICAL EXPEDITION TO MADAGASCAR. 971 
7. On the General Results of a Zoological Expedition to 
Madagascar in 1894-96. By C. I. Forsyra Masor.' 
[Received December 1, 1896.] 
I arrived at Mananjary, on the east coast of Madagascar, at the 
end of August 1894, and embarked at the same place almost two 
years later, on July 11th, 1896. My original intention had been 
to hurry on at once, by the most direct route, to Sirabé, situated on 
the central plateau, at about 12 days’ journey to the N.W., in 
order to profit of what remained of the dry season for the intended 
excavations in the marshes. The impossibility of finding bearers 
for the little-known and difficult direct route obliged me, however, 
to travel first to Fianarantsoa, the capital of the Betsileo, situated 
in a S.8S.W. direction, at 7 days’ distant from Mananjary. At 
Fianarantsoa I had to wait 22 days for the bulk of my luggage, 
which, according to previous arrangements, ought to have arrived 
before myself. I employed the time in doing such collecting 
work as the circumstances would allow. In the meantime, the 
news arrived of sudden complications in the political situation, 
and all the Frenchmen residing in the interior left for the coast, 
with the exception of my young assistant, whom, a little too late 
in the day, I tried to give out as a British subject. 
As there was still some hope left that the Hovas would yield 
to the French ultimatum, I decided to leave for what I thought 
would prove a quiet corner in the forest of the Tanala, N.E. of 
Fianarantsoa, and there to await the events, and eventually the end 
of the war, which it was supposed would be of very short duration. 
My subsequent difficulties with the Tanala Governor were of a 
somewhat more serious nature than I wished to describe in my 
letters; I have to mention it here, as it considerably interfered 
with my work. The collecting work in the forest extended from 
October 1894 to the beginning of February 1895, interrupted in 
December by a journey to the Betsileo town of Ambositra, in 
order to communicate with the few Englishmen residing there, 
and by their help with the British Vice-Consul in Antananarivo. 
The first six weeks of my stay in this district we were encamped 
in the midst of the forest, near Ivohimanitra, at from 1000 to 
1100 metres above the sea. The second stay was at Ambohimitombo, 
a short day’s journey N.W. from the latter place and some 400 
metres higher up. As I then supposed that later on I would have 
no more opportunity to visit the forest-region, I determined to 
collect everything that would come in my way. From this system 
I had completely to depart in the sequel. Being much dependent 
on the cooperation of the natives, I soon found out that it was 
very difficult to train them for a manifold collecting work. 
Besides, I had after a while to convince myself that I was only 
able to do fruitful work in what I was best acquainted with. In 
my subsequent stays in the forest therefore, without leaving 
! Communicated by the President. 
