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



Dr. Kelaart includes B. rubescens, Vieill., in his list, on the 

 authority of Mr. Blyth, but in his catalogue of the A. S. Museum 

 Mr. Blyth doubtfully gives it as a synonym of B. Cey tonus. 

 Can this be my B. Stricklandit 



190. MlCROPTERNUS PHAIOCEPS, Blyth. 



Decidedly a rare species in the island and almost confined to 

 the south; in fact I have found but one specimen elsewhere, which 

 was in the jungle near Ratnapoora. It is generally seen in pairs. 



Of this species Mr. Blyth writes in epistold, " Your Wood- 

 pecker might make a fourth race of Micropternus, on the principle 

 that M. gularis is separable from M. phaiocepsP It is singular 

 that out of our small number of Picidce, nearly all should be 

 peculiar or nearly so to the island, and that even in this instance 

 of one of the coast species a difference should occur. 



191. Centropus Philippensis, Cuvier. Atti-Cuccula, Cing. 

 "'"" Chempagam, Mai. 



The common " jungle crow " of European residents is uni- 

 versally distributed. It feeds upon grasshoppers, locusts, leaf- 

 insects, caterpillars, spiders, &c. On the ground it marches 

 about with a pompous air and outspread tail, scanning every blade 

 of grass and making short but rapid darts upon the various in- 

 sects which fly up at its approach. When of its own free will it 

 resorts to a tree, it flies slowly, sailing along on its rounded wings, 

 frequently progressing sideways ; on reaching its destination it 

 jerks up its tail, uttering its monotonous cry of " whoot, whoot, 

 whoot" and climbs about the branches, beating the bark for 

 PhasmicB and other insects, which trust in their resemblance to 

 the vegetable world for escape from the bills of their numerous 

 enemies. 



On being alarmed it scrambles rapidly to the summit of the 

 tree in perfect silence, and glides away in a contrary direction to 

 that whence the cause of its terror sprung. 



I procured a singular albino bird of this species at Pt. Pedro. 

 It was generally smaller, the black and purple portions were 

 changed to a dirty creamy white, the dark red portions to a light 

 brown. The specimen is now in the British Museum. 



192. Centropus chlororhynchos, Blyth, J. A. S. No. xviii. 



This species I discovered in the year 1848, between Colombo 

 and Kandy, on the Avishavelly road. I forwarded the only spe- 

 cimen procured to Mr. Blyth, who described it, loc. cit., and saw 

 no other till the spring of last year, when on my intended trip 

 to Adam's Peak I shot another in some native gardens at Hang- 



