972 Dtt. 0. 1. FonsYTU major on a [Due. I, 



behind what of supposed interest came into my wa}', 1 chiefly 

 limited myself to the collecting of Mammals, which, with a little 

 training of the natives, came in, later on, in such abundance, that 

 we often found it impossible to master all the work. This is also 

 the reason why I shall refer this eA.ening, so far as the recent 

 fauna is concerned, almost exclusively to Mammals, leaving to 

 my friends to make such additions as they may tliink proper 

 when all the material has been distributed. 



My first collection from Ivohimanitra was to be conveyed to 

 Ambohimanga, the capital of this part of the Tanala country, 

 and from there to be sent to the coast, in accordance with previous 

 arrangements with the Norwegian Missionary stationed at Ambo- 

 himanga. We ourselves had to escort our things to the latter 

 place, but after all, o\\ing to the breaking out of the \A'ar, no goods 

 could be sent from there to the coast ; so that I was obliged to 

 carrj' back, farther in the interior, what I could, leaving part of 

 the things, for want of bearers, at the Mission Station. 



The Betsileo town of Ambositra, on the central plaleau, proved 

 subsequently to be a favourable central place for the forwarding of 

 my collections, and thither I resorted from the forest, and in the 

 sequel more than once from Sirabe, having generally myself to 

 accompany the caravans. The final packing of the collections was 

 mostly effected at Ambositra, and had always to be done with the 

 greatest care ; I have no reason to complain of the great amount 

 of time employed in packing. In the intervals of these occupa- 

 tions some good collecting work was carried on at Ambositra as 

 well. Finally, in March, I left Ambositra for Sirabe, to learn only 

 then, from the Eev. Mr. Rosaas, the discoverer of the fossil bones 

 at Sirabe, who had himself been collecting in the marshes for 

 over 20 years, that it would be impossible to excavate in the 

 marshes for the next following months, on account of the great 

 quantity of water. This proved to be true, so I had to content 

 myself for the beginning with the exploration of a small cave, and 

 to set to work again at collecling the recent fauna of the neigh- 

 bourhood, with satisfactory results in both directions. The cavern 

 yielded some bird-remains and egg-shells of ^pyornis, but chiefly 

 small mammals. This exploration I have come to consider an 

 interesting complement to the subsequent excavations in the 

 marshes ; although, as was to be expected, I subsequently found 

 still existing in different parts of the forest most of the new 

 Mammals discovered in the cave. 



Different attempts to begin a systematic exploitation of the 

 marshes had always to be abandoned again, partly on account of the 

 season and partly on account of the unfriendly behaviour of the 

 population. Tinally, losing patience, I left Sirabe, crossed over 

 the whole central plateau to the east, and settled in the forest 

 at Ampitambe, on the border of the Betsimisaraka country, in 

 the hopes to hear soon of the arrival in Antauanarivo of the 

 I'rench column and of the end of the war. It happened 

 otherwise, however. My collecting work at Ampitambe proved 



