A naturalist in Madagascar

A naturalist in Madagascar - A record of observation, experiences, and impressions made during a period of over fifty years' intimate association with the natives and study of the animal & vegetable life of the island

THE title of this book may perhaps be considered by some as too ambitious, and may provoke comparison with others somewhat similar in name, but with whose distinguished authors I have no claim at all to compete. I have no tales to tell of hair-breadth escapes from savage beasts, no shooting of big game, no stalking of elephant or rhinoceros, of hippo or giraffe. We have indeed no big game in Madagascar. The most dangerous sport in its woods is hunting the wild boar; the largest carnivore to be met with is the fierce little fsa, and the crocodile is the most dangerous reptile. But I ask the courteous reader to wander with me into the wonderful and mysterious forests, and to observe the gentle lemurs in their home, as they leap from tree to tree, or take refuge in the thickets of bamboo; to come out in the dusk and watch the aye-aye as he stealthily glides along the branches, obtaining his insect food under the bark of the trees; to listen to the song of numerous birds, and to note their habits and curious ways; to hear the legends and folk-tales in which the Malagasy have preserved the wisdom of their ancestors with regard to the feathered denizens of the woods and plains, and to admire the luxuriant vegetation of the forests, and the trees and plants, the ferns and flowers, and even the grasses, which are to be found in every part of the island. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 68708
Author: Sibree, James
Release Date: Aug 8, 2022
Format: eBook
Language: English
Publisher: J. B. Lippincott
Publication Date: 1915
Publisher Country: United States