FABULOUS ANIMALS. 275 



bird of much evil omen. Should its droppings fall upon the 

 head of any one, he is watched as sure to die ; the people mourn 

 for him and kill oxen to ward off the impending death." * 



Then again, the laying by a fowl of an unusually large 

 egg is regarded as ominous either of some extraordinary 

 good or evil, while an unusually small egg is feared as 

 foreboding evil. Something of the same feeling comes up in 

 the name given to a small insect which attacks the young 

 rice-plants. It is called Ondrik&iri Andriamitnitra, " God's 

 lamb ; " it appears to be regarded as an instrument of divine 

 anger for men's wickedness. 



The fables respecting animals and birds are numerous, and 

 sometimes very amusing, as giving ingenious reasons for their 

 respective habits, likes and dislikes, &c. Thus there are 

 conversations between " The Crocodile and the Wild Hog," 

 "The Wild Hog and the Eat," "The Wild Hog and the 

 Chameleon," " The Hedgehog and the Eat," " The Kingfisher 

 and the Great Moth," " The Sitry and the Antsiantsy " (two 

 species of lizards), " The Wild Cat and the Eat," "The Hawk 

 and the Fowl," " The Fly and the Ant," &c, &c. 



Fabulous Animals. — But besides these well-known animals 

 the native imagination has pictured several wonderful crea- 

 tures which have no existence except in the fancy of some 

 story-teller of a past age. Among these is the Songbviby, a 

 beast said to be the size of an ox, but of wonderful swiftness, 

 and addicted to human flesh. Then there is the Tbhan-dia 

 or Tbkan-tbngotra (" the single-footed "), a creature whose 

 fore and hind legs are said to be each joined, so that it has 

 only two feet altogether ; also a beast of incredible swiftness, 

 eating men, and only going abroad by night. Then there is 

 the Zalomena, a beast with red horns and as big as an ox, 

 but living in water. But besides these fabulous stories there 

 are others of strange serpents, described as of marvellous 

 power, which very possibly have a basis of truth, since it has 

 been ascertained that there is a species of boa in the western 

 part of the island which drops from trees upon oxe"n and 

 passing travellers. 



But there is another creature also spoken of by the 



* Antananarivo Annual, Ko. ii. p. 98. 



