18 1 Mr. H. Parker's Notes from Ceylon. 



Brack YPTERNUs intermedius (Legge). This is the com- 

 mon Woodpeckerat Vil-ankulam. It feeds on the ground 

 sometimes. 



Phoenicophaes pyrrhocephalus (Forster). Plentiful at 

 Ramb-hara Wihara. At the end of March some birds had 

 paired, and dissection showed that the breeding-season was 

 not distant ; it may be in May. 



Harpactes fasciatus (Forster). Plentiful at Ramb-hara, 

 and in forest north-east of Vil-ankulam. 



Anthracoceros coronatus (Bodd.). Three eggs of this 

 Hornbill, taken in dense forest in Juue, were brought to me 

 at Vil-ankulam. The men who took them stated that the 

 hole was plastered up, as usual with Hornbills_, and that 

 one of the birds (which they ate) was inside. 



The eggs, which are decidedly small for such a bird, are 

 typical ovals. They are glossless, and of a very coarse 

 texture (but not chalky), with many pit-marks of varying 

 shapes and sizes. Writing on them seemed like writing on 

 stone. Their colour is a dull brownish, deep grey cream, 

 possibly once nearly white and now discoloured ; many of 

 the pit-marks are stained by dirt, which gives the shell a 

 spotted appearance. In a suitable position the eggs exhibit 

 a sub-spotting of white, apparently caused by small portions 

 of shell with a finer texture than the rest. The lining is 

 white. Two measure 2'04 in. by 1'53 in. ; the other is 1*96 

 in. by 1*48 in. Fortunately they were hard-set, so that the 

 young birds could be identified ; these had the usual large 

 bills, but of course no " horn.'' 



Ceyx tridactyla (Pall.). This lovely Kingfisher appa- 

 rently frequents all the streams of the drier " low-country " 

 districts. One flew through my room at Ramb-hara Wihara. 



Merops swinhoii (Hume). March, April (Tissa). 



Caprimulgus asiaticus (Lath.), June (Tissa), July 

 (Vil.), August (Hamb.), October (Mannar). 



Lanius CRisTATUs (Liuu.). Twice recorded at Tissa on 

 October 7th ; it leaves at the end of April. 



