484 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



"A Naturalist in Madagascar." By James Sibree, F.R.G.S., 

 Membre de l'Academie Malgache. 8vo. 320 pp., with 52 illustrations 

 and 3 maps. (Seeley, Service, London : 1915.) 16s. net. 



The scope of this work is set forth in the sub-title, which reads 

 as follows: "A record of observation, experiences, and impressions 

 made during a period of over fifty years' intimate association with 

 the natives and study of the animal and vegetable life of the island." 

 The author is a naturalist in the best sense of the term, and confesses 

 to taking more delight in watching and recording the habits of animals 

 and insects than in killing them for collections. It follows therefore 

 that the volume records the impressions of an observer rather than 

 the feats of a hunter. Few people, we imagine, realize that the great 

 African island of Madagascar has an area exceeding that of France, 

 Belgium, and Holland combined ; yet such, we are told, is the case. 

 The surface is diversified with mountain and plain, and luxurious 

 forests clothe large areas. Although so close to the continent of 

 Africa, the fauna is quite distinct and suggests interesting problems 

 as. to what were the land-connexions of the island in past geological 

 time. 



The profusion and luxuriance of the forest vegetation are described 

 as very extraordinary, but, as in the case of the floras of other tropical 

 countries, it is the colour and form of the foliage and not the flowers 

 that form the most striking feature. The tropical floras present 

 few such colour masses as the temperate zone affords, as, for example, 

 in hills covered with heather, woods carpeted with bluebells or prim- 

 roses, meadows with buttercups, or fields with scarlet poppies. The 

 flora of Madagascar does, however, contain some of the wonders of 

 the vegetable kingdom, such as, for example, the Traveller's Tree (Rave- 

 nala madagascariensis) , the Lattice-leaf plant (Ouvirandra fenestralis), 

 a curious pitcher-plant (Nepenthes madagascariensis), and numerous 

 species of orchids, bamboos, tree-ferns, and palms. Amongst the 

 latter is Raphia ruffia, the rofia or rafha palm, the leaf-cuticle of which 

 forms the tying material largely used by gardeners. The descrip- 

 tion of this palm is worth quoting as an example of the author's 

 style : — " The trunk has a rough and rugged surface, and this reaches 

 the height of 20 to 30 feet ; but the leaves are the most striking 

 feature ; they are magnificent plumes of enormous length, quite as 

 long as the trunk itself. The midrib of these leaves has a very strong 

 but light structure, some 4 or 5 inches wide at the base, and on this 

 account it is largely used for ladders, for palanquin poles, for roofing, 

 and indeed for anything needing lightness as well as strength. On 

 these midribs are set a great number of grass-like pinnate fronds, 

 from which string and fibre are prepared for weaving. Great clusters 

 of seeds (or fruits ?), which are enclosed in a shiny brown skin, hang 

 down from the top of the trunk. These are used for boxes to enclose 

 small articles, as jewellery &c. At one part of our journey the only 

 road was through an extensive sheet of water, through which rose 



