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THE ANIMALS OF MADAGASCAR 



Silky Cuckoos. 



performs curious evolutions in the air, soaring, hovering, beating its wings, and 

 finally swooping towards the ground, while all the time it utters its cry of " too- 

 hoo, too-hoo, too-hoo." The kirombo is the sole representative of its genus. 



The five genera of ground-rollers, which are likewise peculiar to Madagascar, 

 have comparatively short wings and long legs, and live on the ground, seldom flying, 

 perching only on low branches, never leaving the woods, and seeking their food 



only in the twilight. Among them, 

 / the thrush-roller (Atelomis pit- 



toides) somewhat resembles both a 

 pitta and a thrush. In colour it 

 is reddish green above and fawn 

 below, with a blue band at the 

 base of the white throat, white 

 bars on the primaries, a blue head, 

 and the tail blue, except for the 

 middle feathers, which are brown. 

 In a totally differ- 

 ent group of birds, the 

 numerous species of silky cuckoos 

 of the genus Sericosomus constitute 

 a characteristic Malagasy type. 

 The smallest is of the size of the 

 European cuckoo, while the largest 

 rivals a magpie in dimensions. 

 Reynaud's silky cuckoo (S. rey- 

 naudi), which is intermediate in 

 this respect, is metallic green 

 above and pale grey beneath with 

 a reddish brown crown to the 

 head. 



In the Psittaci, 

 or parrot group, the 

 vasa parrots (Coracopsis), charac- 

 terised by the thick, compressed, 

 and elongated whitish beak, the 

 straight or slightly rounded tail, 

 somewhat longer than the wings, 

 the naked or slightly feathered 

 lores, and the presence of a bare 

 the dutch pigeon. region round the eye, form a group 



restricted to Madagascar and the 

 Seychelle and Comoro Islands. Among them the lesser vasa parrot (0. nigra), 

 which is a royal bird, is dark brown with slaty grey wings, a white beak, and 

 flesh-coloured skin. Living in small flocks, and at times flying high, it is largely 

 terrestrial in its habits, and remarkable on account of its shrill cry. Another 

 well-known Malagasy parrot is the grey-headed love-bird (Agapomis cana), which 



Parrots. 





Si 



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