171 
observed in Madagascar. 
The nest was an enormous mass of sticks, grass, roots, and 
rushes, at least four feet high by three feet wide, and even then 
was unfinished. It was situated in the fork of a tree, ten or 
twelve feet from the ground. In this almost treeless part of the 
country there are generally small scrubby clumps of low trees 
near each village, and it was in one of these that this nest was 
placed. 
“ On my return from the capital I found four nests of this 
bird close together in one clump of trees. Three of them were 
in the same tree; the fourth on another, which had been par¬ 
tially blown down, and not more than six feet from the ground. 
It was with some difficulty that I climbed over the nest; and so 
solidly was it built, that it bore my weight. There were two 
entrances to this nest (the others had only one each) ; and not¬ 
withstanding the great size of the edifice, the chamber within 
hardly appeared large enough to contain its future tenants.”— 
S. K. 
59. Lophotibts cristata (Gmelin), Hartl. p. 76. “ Tche- 
coo-coohoo.” 
“ These birds were occasionally met with in the jungle and 
belt of forest along the sea-coast in the neighbourhood of Foule 
Point. I obtained a fine male specimen in the Mango-tope 
which surrounds the king^s house at the above-mentioned place. 
It had evidently come to visit a female kept in captivity there. 
I had an opportunity of seeing this latter feed, which it did by 
boring its bill into the soft earth, and thence extracting, with 
great dexterity, the worms, its principal food. There did not 
appear to be much difference between the sexes. The flesh of 
these birds is exceedingly good. Iris golden brown; naked skin 
round the eye reddish flesh-colour; bill pale pea-green.”-—E. N. 
60. Numenius PHiEOPUs (Linn.), Hartl. p. 77. “ Masha- 
vazan.” 
Common along the coast, but not very numerous. 
61. ? Tringoides hypoleucus (Linn.), Hartl. p. 77. 
We several times saw what we believed to be the Common 
Sandpiper of Europe, and some specimens were shot, but, unfor- 
n 2 
