Mr. E. L. Layard on the Ornithology of Ceylon. 125 



namon gardens Europeans call it the " Cinnamon Thrush/' It 

 builds in low bushes, constructing a loose untidy-looking nest 

 of fibres and grasses, in which it deposits four or five globose 

 eggs of an earthy colour profusely freckled. The young are 

 hatched about June ; it has an abrupt mellow song. 



117. Pycnonotus penicillatus, Kelaart. 



Discovered at Nuwera Elia by Dr. Kelaart, where he states it 

 is " found in great abundance.^' 



118. Pycnonotus h^morrhaus, Gmel. Kondacla, Mai., and 

 Konda cooroolla, Cing., from the resemblance of the top- 

 knot of the bird to the knot in which the Cingalese and 

 Tamils tie their hair, and which is called " Kondeh'* 



This bulbul is everywhere very abundant ; it feeds on all kinds 

 of insects, and builds a deep cup-shaped nest in bushes or trees. 

 1 saw one placed in the trellis-work of a verandah, close to the 

 entrance of the house, through which the family continually 

 passed and repassed. The birds sat unconcernedly on their eggs 

 and hatched them. The eggs are — axis 10 lines, diam. 8 lines, 

 and of a pale cream-colour, profusely blotched with darker mark- 

 ings, which are most frequent on the obtuse end. 



119. Pycnonotus atricapillus. 



Syn. jEgithina atricapilla, Vieill. 



Is common in the southern and central provinces. Its habits 

 are those of the flycatcher, lying in wait and pouncing suddenly 

 on its prey. I believe it breeds in low bushes, as 1 once found 

 an unfinished nest which I feel sure belonged to this bird ; a 

 pair hovered about all the time I examined it. It was a loose 

 structure of fibres and hair. 



120. Hypsipetes Nilgherriensis, Jerdon. 



I have not seen this species lower than Avishavelly ; there it 

 appears scantily, and increases in numbers with the altitude, until 

 it becomes one of the most common of the hill tribes. It always 

 flies in small flocks and feeds on berries, which it culls either 

 from the loftiest tree-tops far beyond gun-shot, or from the low 

 bushes by the road-side. 



121. Cygrnis rubeculoides. Vigors. vv Vi'* 

 I obtained a few specimens of this elegant little flycatcher 

 during their migration from the main land. I fii'st shot them 

 on the 14th of October, 1851, and a few subsequently at Point 

 Pedro ; they then disappeared, and I saw no more of them. 



