198 THE ANIMALS OF MADAGASCAR 



and is characterised by its long curved beak and the generally brown tint of the 



plumage of the upper-parts ; the breast being maroon and the abdomen rosy. Only 



a single specimen has been obtained. 



Although this work is mainly concerned with the animals of the present day, 



reference must be made to the occurrence in the marshes of Madagascar of bones 



and egg-shells of gigantic flightless birds, the nearest relatives of which appear to 



be the kiwis and moas of New Zealand, referred to in a later chapter. Apart from 



their zoological importance, these remains are of interest from an historical point 



of view, as it seems highly probable that the huge eggs, which were doubtless well 



known to the Arabs who visited the island in early days, gave rise to the legend of 



the " roc " of the Arabian Nights. These birds, to which the name AEpyomis has 



been given, are represented by several species, differing from one another in size. 



Largest of all is AH. titan, the eggs of which may measure as much as 3 feet in 



their longer circumference by 2^ feet in girth ; their internal capacity being 



rather more than a couple of gallons. Eggs of this and other species are by no 



means uncommon in the sandy banks of the Malagasy lakes, from which they are 



often washed out during storms, when they float on the water and are picked up 



and sold to visitors by the natives. 



The reptiles of Madagascar, so far as tortoises and snakes are 

 Reptiles. r . 



concerned, present a curious affinity to those of both tropical 



America and Africa. Old World relationships are, however, displayed by the 



existence in the interior of the island of a species of crocodile (Crocodilus 



robustus). Affinities with the Mascarene fauna are indicated by the former 



existence in the island of a species of giant land-tortoise (Testudo grandidieri), 



shells and skeletons of which have been obtained in an almost perfect condition 



from the marshes. 



Turning to the side-necked fresh-water tortoises (Pleurodira) of the Southern 

 Hemisphere, we find the genus Podocnemis, which contains at least six South 

 American species, represented in Madagascar by P. madagascariensis. On the other 

 hand, the genera Stemothcerus and Pelomedusa are common to Africa and 

 Madagascar. The soft river-tortoises (Trionychidce), which form a subordinal group 

 by themselves and are so well represented in Africa, are absent from Madagascar, 

 as they are from South America. 



South American affinities are most pronounced in the case of the python 

 family, where the genus Boa, as typified by the well-known Boa constrictor of 

 tropical South America, is represented in Madagascar by the two smaller species 

 respectively known as B. madagascariensis and B. dumerili. The allied genus 

 Corallus, with several tropical American species, has likewise one outlying 

 Malagasy member (C madagascariensis). The Indo-African pythons are con- 

 spicuous by their absence from the island, and the same holds good for the entire 

 group of vipers. 



On the other hand, African affinities are indicated by the abundance of cham- 

 eleons in Madagascar, where the type genus is represented by Chamceleon bifidus 

 and Ch. parsoni, the latter being the giant of the family, attaining a total length 

 of 2 feet. In both these species there is a remarkable difference between the sexes, 

 the males carrying a pair of long, horn-like processes which extend in front of 



