Mr. Blytli on. Ceijlua Ornithology. 309 



being an inhabitant of the central, southern, and south-western 

 provinces. ^' The wretched figure of a ' Rail/ " he continues, 

 " in Brown's ' Illustrations,' is, I am certain, meant for a female 

 of this species. Mr. Strickland agreed with me in thus think- 

 ing." He adds many details of habits (Ann. & Mag. N. H. 

 1854, xiv. pp.105, 106). 



38. Turn IX pugnax, var. 



It appears that there are two varieties in Ceylon, — one abun- 

 dant throughout the flat northern half of the island, which agrees 

 with that of India generally ; the other with a more deeply 

 cinnamon-coloured abdominal region, which is as common in 

 the south, and perhaps may be met with in the mountainous 

 parts of South India. 



39. GoRSACHius MELANOLOPHUS (llafflcs) , Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii. 

 p. 326 (juv.) ; Ardea goisagi, Teram. {Vide anted,, p. 173, note.) 



A Bittern-like bird, with the short neck and also the toes of 

 a Nycticorax. This very widely distributed species has not 

 yet been recorded from the mainland of India ; but a specimen 

 was obtained in the island of Ramri (Arakan), and it is not 

 uncommon in Malayana and the Philippine Islands. Mr. La- 

 yard ''procured two or three specimens of this curious bird 

 about Colombo in the mouth of November 1852. The natives 

 were quite ignorant of it, and while I had one alive in my house 

 came in great numbers to see it. Its eyes were oblong, the 

 pupil surrounded by a light yellow iris, darkening into a green- 

 ish yellow on the outside [^^m. denoting immaturity?]. The 

 cere of the bill greenish, legs and back dark green, claws, 

 yellow" (Ann. & Mag. N. H. 1854, xiv. p. 114). Its manners 

 and attitudes, as described by Mr. Layard, were quite those of 

 any species of Botaurus or Ardetta, squatting and puffing out 

 the plumage, with bill pointed upward ready for a sudden 

 strike. 



40. Tringa albescens, Temm., was noticed by Mr. Swinhoe 

 in the Colombo Museum (Ibis, 1864, p. 420). 



41. PoRZANA ZEYLANiCA (Gmelin) ; Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxi. 

 p. 353. 



