THE
FOLK-LORE OF MALAGASY BIRDS.
DURING previous furloughs in England—from twelve to eight years ago—I had the pleasure of contributing several papers on Madagascar folk-lore to the Record[1]
and to the Journal of this society, my latest contributions being a series of articles on "The Oratory, Songs, Legends, and Folk-tales of the Malagasy",[2] with translations of numerous specimens of these productions of the native mind. In these papers a few references were made to Malagasy superstitions about the birds of their country; but as I have recently paid some attention to Madagascar ornithology, and have written several articles on the subject for an annual publication which I have edited for several years past, and which is printed at Antanànarìvo, the capital of the island,[3] I have collected together much additional information on the folk-lore of Malagasy birds. My papers will be given in full, with further additions, in the quarterly numbers of the Ibis for this year; but I thought it might be interesting to select from them what is most noteworthy as regards the bird-lore of the people, including the legends, popular notions, and proverbs relating to this subject, together with a few references to the very significant native names for many of the birds of Madagascar. I shall now proceed to do this, noticing the birds in the order of their present classification by the best ornithologists, especially that followed by Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.Z.S.
- ↑ See "Malagasy Folk-lore and Popular Superstitions", Folk-lore Record, 1879; pp. 19-46. "Some Additional Folk-lore from Madagascar", ibid., 1881; pp. 45-51.
- ↑ See Folk lore Journal Jan.-Nov. 1883; p. 109.
- ↑ The Antanànarìvo Annual and Madagascar Magazine; edited by Rev. J. Sibree, F.R.G.S., and Rev. R. Baron, F.L.S., F.G.S.; Nos. xiii (1S89) and xiv (1890).
