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being covered with a stiff kind of prickles. The 
tendrac has a long snout, with which it roots like the 
hog, and it also grunts and wallows in the mire. 
Its feet are like those of a rabbit; and in the rainy 
season it burrows a considerable w 7 ay into the ground, 
in a sloping direction, making a zig-zag sort of a hole, 
finishing towards the surface: here it remains in a 
torpid state for some weeks, during which it loses its 
bristles, which grow again when it revives. The 
natives are partial to the flesh, and take great pains 
in hunting it. 
The baboon (called by the natives tratratratra) 
grows to an enormous size, being, according to 
Flaeourt, as large as a heifer of two years old, and 
consequently must be at least seven feet high when 
standing on its hind legs. It is a very savage and 
untractable animal, and its imperfect and hideous 
resemblance to the human form gives it an horrific 
appearance. The natives are very much afraid of it, 
and it also flies from them. 
There are very few beasts of prey in Madagascar, 
and those are of a diminutive size, if we except the 
crocodile, which infests every river in the island, 
and renders it very dangerous crossing them, or 
walking on their banks. 
The Fossa is an animal of the badger kind. It 
destroys the poultry and eggs. The females and 
young ones are very good eating. 
The Yaressa is a species of fox, and is a savage 
animal: there are great numbers of them in the 
