286 . VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. cuap. xi. 



inspection it proved to be neither of these, though an exceed- 

 ingly curious plant. A single flattish stem nearly an inch in 

 breadth, and sending out small fibres on each side, extended 

 up the stem of a large tree for thirty or forty feet, and then 

 sent out smaller shoots which spread amongst the branches. 

 There were no flowers at the time, but the natives told me 

 it bore blue or purple flowers along the sides of the small 

 branches. They called it tandraho. I subsequently saw 

 another plant of the same species, which had along the sides 

 of the smaller branches yellow round shaped protuberances 

 resembling in structure the seed vessels of the Canna indica, 

 or Indian shot, but the seeds were soft and unripe. 



We resumed our journey soon after noon, passing through 

 a beautiful and fertile country covered -svith herbage, and 

 ornamented by magnificent trees standing singly or in 

 clumps. In portions of the ground that had been recently 

 cleared and enclosed, and the vegetation destroyed by burn- 

 ing, the trees which were still standing deprived of their 

 smaller branches and great part of their bark, were of enor- 

 mous size, and the soil seemed exceedingly rich. I had to- 

 day, as well as on previous occasions, passed herds of cattle, 

 either feeding or reclining on the grassy plains ; and I had 

 noticed that they were always accompanied by a number of 

 birds nearly white, about the size of a pigeon, but in shape 

 more like a stork, having long legs and neck. It appeared 

 a different bird from the red-billed pique boef. These birds 

 seemed to be the constant companions of the cattle, and at- 

 tracted by the flies or other insects about the oxen, and 

 passed in and out amongst them, close to them, and even 

 upon them when grazing or lying down, with the most perfect 

 freedom and confidence. On inquiring of the natives about 

 them I was told that they were called vorompotsy, white bird, 

 or vorontianomby ; literally, birds beloved by cattle, as they 

 always followed the herds and devoured the flies which tor- 



