394 Dr. G. Hartlaub on the Ornithology of Madagascar. 



has a very extensive geographical distribution ; Adanson observed 

 it in Senegal, Bowdich on the Gambia, Boie and others at the 

 Cape, Delegorgue at Port Natal, Tuckey at the Zaire, Denham 

 and Clapperton in Central Africa, and Kiippell in Sennaar and 

 Abyssinia; it is said also to have been met with in southern Ara- 

 bia. The genus Numida is extended over all Africa, though the 

 habitat of certain species, such as Numida vulturina, is very re- 

 stricted ; the species which occurs in Madagascar lives also in 

 South Africa, and is altogether the most widely extended. The 

 beautiful falconine genus Polyboroides has been observed in very 

 distant localities of Africa; it is not rare throughout S. Africa, 

 occurs, according to Riippell, in Schoa, and the museum at Bre- 

 men contains a tine female specimen from the Gambia. Accord- 

 ing to Andrew Smith, the Madagascar specimens of this bird 

 were somewhat smaller, and altogether paler-coloured than the 

 continental ones. Lastly, the singing falcon, Melierax canorus, 

 has a rather less extended distribution ; its occurrence in Mada- 

 gascar is asserted by Sganzin. 



On the other hand, the following genera, which are truly 

 African, and in part highly characteristic, are wanting in this 

 island : Gypogeranus, Helotarsus, Musophaga, Corythaix, Chi- 

 zcerhis, Pogonias, Trachyphonus, Barbatula, Lamprotornis (Juida, 

 Gr.), Malaconotus, Drymoica, Colius and Buphaga. The inex- 

 plicable anomaly of the absence of vultures and woodpeckers 

 in the fauna of Australia and of the Papuan islands, recurs in a 

 remarkable manner in Madagascar, where, hitherto at least, no 

 bird of these two families has been observed; for Sganzin's 

 Pic and Pic a tete bteue are species of Brachypteracias. The 

 genera Francolinus, Pterocles, Ploceus, Cursorius, Otis, Chalcites, 

 Laniarius, &c, which are distributed in numerous species 

 throughout Africa, present in Madagascar either but one repre- 

 sentative, or none at all, which last is the case with the four 

 genera last named ; the gaily-coloured Lanius madagascariensis 

 c&ruleus of Brisson, which Gray refers to Laniarius, is very iso- 

 lated in its coloration and form of beak, and shares its peculiarity 

 with other Madagascar birds, so that it cannot be placed with 

 certainty in any of the modern genera. The family of the horn- 

 bills (Bucerotidce) is exhibited in Madagascar by means of a dwarf 

 form, Euryceros Prevosti, first described by Lesson. 



The following species are met with both in Africa and Mada- 

 gascar : — 



Polyboroides typicus, Melierax canorus, Corvus albicollis, Zo- 

 sterops madagascariensis, Treron australis, Numida mitrata, Nu- 

 menius madagascariensis, Anastomus lamelligerus, Scopus um- 

 bretta, Rhynchaa capensis, Ardea bubulcus, Porphyrio madagas- 

 cariensis, Nettapus auritus, and Sarkidiorn isregia. Also Merops 



