436 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
CHAP. XVI. 
engaged a special bearer to carry; for I could not leave a new, 
or curious, or beautiful plant or flower behind, when I had 
an opportunity of taking it with me, and even a chance of 
getting it alive to the coast. On my way towards the wood¬ 
cutter’s station at Alamazaotra, I obtained several plants of 
the curiously-shaped capsule and yellow-flowered Angrcecum 
crassum , and the Angrcecum citratum. But my greatest 
treasure was a large bulbed plant, of quite a new species; and 
as it is now growing well, and showing flowers, I hope it may 
be added to the already rich collections of orchids cultivated 
in our country. It had a large flower-stalk, and a seed-pod 
the size of an orange. 
The weather was fine, and the descent from the high cen¬ 
tral provinces so much easier than the ascent had been, that on 
the 1st of October we halted at Alamazaotra. Izaro and one of 
the bearers were suffering from fever. Our wants for the night 
—fuel and provisions—were liberally supplied by the officers at 
the station. By seven the following morning we resumed our 
journey, and soon entered the forest. The morning was bright, 
the atmosphere clear and bracing. My attention was soon at¬ 
tracted by a peculiar shouting or hallooing in the forest, ap¬ 
parently at no great distance from the road. It was not like any 
sound I had heard before, but resembled that of men or boys 
calling to each other more than anything else. At first I thought 
it was a number of people driving cattle out of the forest into 
the road. Still I heard no crashing amongst the underwood, 
and saw no signs of bullocks. Then I imagined it must be a 
number of bird-catchers or squirrel-catchers. But on in¬ 
quiring of my companions, they said the noise proceeded from 
the black and white lemurs, Lemur macaco , of which, as well 
as of other varieties, there are great numbers in the forests. 
This genus is peculiar to Madagascar, and confined to the 
island as the marsupial animals are to Australia and America. 
The several kinds are found in greater numbers in some 
localities than in others. In the south of Madagascar the ring- 
