Mr. E. L. Layard on the Ornithology of Ceylon. 215 



alike : leave but your breakfast-table for a moment, and as you 

 return, the rustling of hurrying wings, the marks of many feet 

 on the white table-cloth, the gashes in the pat of butter, and the 

 disappearance of plantains and small viands, proclaim who have 

 been the robbers. The old " hopper woman ^' sits frying her 

 cakes under the lowly ^'pandaP^ of her cadjan hut, and over her 

 with head inclined, taking a bird's-eye view of her cookery, sits 

 the " caca -" and now the " appah,'^ anglice " hopper," is done, 

 lifted from the pan, and laid on the little circular basket ready 

 for a customer. With a grunt of satisfaction the aged crone 

 surveys her handiwork, and drops her spoon to feel for her beloved 

 betel-pouch ; a tiresome little bit of " areca-nut '^ has got into a 

 corner and the old dame bends over it, unmindful of her charge ; 

 a dark figure drops from the roof, and though she is instantly 

 on the alert, and aims an ineffectual blow at the thief, the nice 

 white " appah '^ is borne off. Sometimes however the robber 

 has but a poor hold on it and drops it on the red cabook road; 

 down pounce a host of crows that have been looking on from 

 many a tree, and a scuffle ensues ; but anxious at least to cheat 

 them of their booty, if not to retain the damaged article for 

 her own eating, the old woman hurries to the rescue ; but this 

 makes matters worse, the castle is defenceless, and unseen foes 

 drop down from beam and rafter or fly in through open doors. 

 The rice-basket is invaded, the chilli box overturned, the dried fish 

 stolen, and lucky is the dame if the crash of most of her little 

 store of crockery and glass, swept to the ground and scattered 

 in shining fragments, does not hastily recall her to her hut. 



But in spite of these annoying thefts, the amount of good 

 done by the vast numbers of these birds which frequent our 

 towns is very great ; they are the great street scavengers j nothing 

 escapes their quick eyes, everything that can be eaten is de- 

 voured as soon as discovered, and early and late they are on the 

 watch for whatever is thrown out ; and so nimble are they, that I 

 have frequently seen them catch small bits of carrion, or other 

 matters, before they fell to the ground. They have not the least 

 fear of the natives, and even European children are unheeded by 

 them, and I have seen my boy's hand bitten and bleeding from 

 their attempting to snatch his bread from him. But of the 

 white man and his gun they entertain the most wholesome dread. 

 Point but a stick at one and away it flies, while yet two or three 

 hundred yards distant, and alarms the whole winged fraternity 

 with his cries. Crows flock from all quarters, and sailing high 

 in air, caw in concert till the object of their dread has disap- 

 peared. However, should one unwary bird fall before the gun, 

 his companions hasten to assist him, and will often raise him up, 

 and fly so heedlessly round the head of the fowler, that a dozen 



