Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/415

Rh many of the other Malagasy birds, many of the names are descriptive, some of their screaming cries, and others of their appearance. The White-winged Diving-duck is known as Adàladàla, i.e., "Foolish", because it does not fly away until one is very near it, and is consequently very easily shot. The natives say that the hen-bird experiences some difficulty in the laying of her eggs, which are very large in proportion to the size of her body. Indeed, the passage of the egg is said to make the bird faint and become unconscious. If found just at this time she may be taken off her nest with the hand. On account of this peculiarity, this bird is fàdy, or tabooed, by all native women, who think that they would experience a similar difficulty in childbirth were they to eat the bird.

IX.—Of the ninth Order of birds, including the Frigate-birds, Tropic-birds, and Pelicans proper, all represented in or around Madagascar, I can say but little—nothing, indeed, of the two first-named families—as regards folk-lore, although there is much that is interesting about them from a naturalist's point of view. The names of the African Cormorant describe its habits, the Sàkalàva calling it Rènivoày, i.e., "Mother (or Guardian)-of-Crocodiles", for they insist that it acts as a sentinel for these reptiles. They say that when one of the birds is seen perched on a tree by the river, one is certain to see, not far off, a number of crocodiles. Other and similar names for this cormorant are Sakàizamboày, "Crocodiles'-friend", and Arondòvy, "Guardian-of-the-enemy", i.e., the crocodile, the enemy par excellence, and the most feared of all the living creatures in the island. It is also termed Voròmpisàky, i.e., the "Bird-that-takes(prey)-from-the-water", and Famàfikangàty, "Shell-breaker".

X.—As regards the proper, including a score species of Tern, Noddy, Gull, and Petrel, I can say even less than about the previous Order, as but few Europeans