4^18 Mr. E. L. Layard on the Ornithology of Ceylon. 



other species, it breeds in holes, and I have seen it in the act of 

 excavating them in decaying portions of living trees. 



182. Megalaima rubricapilla, Gmel. Mal-Kotoor, Cing. 



Very common about Colombo; I have also seen it from Batti- 

 caloa, and procured it at Jaffna. It frequents the banian trees 

 in great numbers and feeds upon the ripe fruits, swallowing 

 them entire. 



183. Picus GYMNOPTHALMOs, Blyth, J. A. S. no. xxxii. 



The smallest of our Woodpeckers, and peculiar to the island. 

 I first discovered it near Colombo in the year 1848, and it was 

 described by Mr. Blyth in 1849, loc. cit. 



It is sparingly, at the same time widely, distributed, and 

 delights in creeping about the jack-trees ; it is therefore more 

 plentiful to the south of the island, in the cultivated portions, 

 than towards the northern and jungle districts. 



Irides the palest possible yellow ; eyelids deep purple. 



184. Picus Mahrattensis, Latham. 



Confined to the northern province, and found principally about 

 the dead limbs of the Euphorbia trees. I have not seen more 

 than half a dozen specimens. 



185. Picus Macei, Vieill. 

 Dr. Kelaart includes this in his Catalogue, sed nan vidi. 



186. Gecinus CHLOROPHANES, Vieill. 



Not uncommon in the neighbourhood of Colombo, and in the 

 lower ranges of the hills. Dr. Kelaart says that at Nuwera Elia 

 it " is very frequently seen.^^ Of all our Woodpeckers this seems 

 the Only one addicted to walking, and seeking its food on the 

 ground. Here it is often found in pairs, breaking into the dried 

 masses of cow-dung in search of Coleoptera. On being alarmed 

 it takes refuge on the nearest tree or bush, and displays all the 

 arboreal activity of its tribe, climbing round the branches and 

 evading the eye by carefully keeping on the opposite side of the 

 limbs. 



187. Brachypternus aurantius, Linn. Tatchan-cooroovi, 

 Mai., and Pastru carpentaru, Port. ; lit. Carpenter-bird. 

 Applied, in fact, indiscriminately to all the Woodpecker 

 tribe, but more especially to this species from its vigorous 

 knocking. 



The Yellow-backed Woodpecker is confined exclusively to the 



