Mr. Blyth on Ceylon Ornithology. 311 



any time in the southern portions of the island. Again, the 

 Gulls and Terns are undoubtedly migratory, some partially, 

 some totally ; but where to draw the line ? I have often entered 

 a species in my list as ' totally,^ when, going on government 

 service to another part of the island, out of the influence of the 

 monsoon, lo and behold my 'totally migratory species' was 

 quietly fishing away, unconscious of all the perplexity it was 

 giving me ! ! However, I never found the nests of them in the 

 island. They may breed in the rocks round Trincomalee'^ (Ann. 

 & Mag. N. H. 1853, xi. pp. 227, 228). He obtained, however, 

 an egg of Dromas ardeola, or which he believed to have been of 

 that species. 



It may here be noticed that Batrachostomus moniliger was 

 described by Dr. Jerdon (B. India, i. p. 189) from a Ceylon 

 specimen, though there can be little doubt that the species 

 inhabiting the peninsula of India will prove identical. 



Rejecting the admitted varieties of Indian species (and also 

 the dubious Macropygia) , there remain 37 species or races of 

 birds observed in Ceylon which have not hitherto been noticed 

 elsewhere ; but ten of these are especially akin to as many Indian 

 forms : — 



Loriculus edwardsi to L. verualis. 



Athene castanoptera „ A. radiata. 



Megalfema zeylanica „ jNI. caniceps. 



Malacocercus striatus ,, M. beugalensis. 



Poniatorhinus melanurus „ P. liorsfieldi. 



Alcippe nigrifrons ,, A. atriceps. 



Drymceca valida ,, D. sylvatica. 



Dicrui'us minor „ D. macrocercus. 



D. leucopygialis „ D. cserulescens. 



Palumbus torringtoni „ P. elphiustoui. 



These, as others in a higher degree, may be regarded as local 

 specializations ; but the curious fact still remains, that Malaco- 

 cercus striatus is much more closely akin to the Bengal species 

 of its genus than to any of those inhabiting the Indian penin- 

 sula. One species only, Brachypteryx (?) palliseri, is known from 

 a single specimen only, probably female ; and Cisticola homalura 

 may be considered as somewhat doubtful at present. The only 

 peculiar generic form is Phcenicophaus (as distinct from Xanclo- 



