PRODUCE 135 
the natives from putting them to death. The very pala¬ 
table tenrecs, partridges and sultanas are mostly trapped. 
Many creatures are caught alive for amusement. The 
young Sakalava climb the trees with incredible audacity 
to catch the honey-suckers and parrokeets, and are ready 
to supply any number of them at any time in bamboo 
cages. In the interior I saw the Betsimisaraka very busy 
catching cuckoos and kingfishers, but this was only for 
food. The numerous lemurs, including the babakota, are 
caught and tamed because they are pretty and tract¬ 
able animals, but no economic use of any kind has yet 
been found for them. 
River fishing on account of the numerous crocodiles is 
too dangerous to be carried on profitably. Among the 
Betsimisaraka I saw old women fishing; they formed a 
semicircle round a large pool and drove the fish into a 
wide net with all the noise they could make. The Saka¬ 
lava, who are very bold on the sea, bring in many sea 
fish and crabs, and sea fishing is also carried on by the 
inhabitants of the east coast. 
