South-eastern Subdivision of Southern Ceylon. 279 



in the south-west, where the open paddy-lands are more suited 

 to its habits than the hot " wastes '' of this district. 



10. Haliastur INDUS (Bodd.). 



Not abundant in the maritime district, but occurs far in- 

 land in the Wellaway Korle about tanks. 



11. MiLvus GOViNDA, Sykcs. 

 Milvus affinis, Gould. 



I observed no example of the Pariah Kite in either season ; 

 and it is very rare in the south-west (Ibis, 1874, p. 10). 



12. Elanus ceruleus (Desf.). 



I met with several examples of this Kite in the vicinity of 

 inland tanks ; it occui-s here more frequently, perhaps, than 

 in any other part of the island. 



13. KeTUPA CEYLONENSIS (Gm.). 



Numerous in the forests on the banks of the rivers, parti- 

 cularly in the Wellaway Korle. I saw nothing of our AVood- 

 Owl, Syrnium indranee, which occurs frequently in the other 

 subdivision of the south, the hiU country (Ibis, 1874, p. 11). 



14. Ephialtes backamuna. 



This little Owl is less frequent here than in the south- 

 west. It aflfects cultivated districts far more than wild jungle- 

 country. 



15. NiNox HiRsuTA (Tcmm.) . 



In my notice of the birds of the south-west or the southern 

 hill- region, I omitted this species. For a long time I was 

 accustomed to hear early in the evening and late in the morn- 

 ing, when in the interior of that district, particularly along 

 the Gindurah, the note of an Owl, which I was unable to 

 trace to its proper source. Since writing my paper I suc- 

 ceeded in shooting the bird while hooting, and thus found 

 that this species, supposed to be rare in Ceylon {vide P. Z. S. 

 1872, p. 418), was very numerous in the south-west. Last 

 year I found it very common in the Wellaway Korle, its note 

 being my constant evening and morning entertainment, as 

 late as 7 a.m. I have heard it monotonous whooo-wuk, ivhooo- 

 wuk, whooo-wuk, in more than one direction, around some 



