398 Lieut. W. V. Legge on the Birds of the 



It associates in small parties^ consisting of the old birds and 

 their immature broods^ and affects tangled underwood^ and 

 not long grass and rushes, like P. socialis. It is probably 

 confined entirely to this district, which -will account for its 

 having escaped the notice of previous collectors in Ceylon. 

 I'his Prinia, Sturnia albofrontata, Prionochilus vincens, and 

 perhaps Geocichla layai'di are therefore our most local forms. 



71. BUDYTES VIRIDIS (Scop.). 



This Wagtail, numerous in the season in other parts of 

 Ceylon, exists in very small numbers here, the climate being 

 too dry and the open lands too parched for its habits. I 

 think, at least, its absence from many parts of this district 

 may be thus accounted for, as insect -life is alvrays more rife 

 in herbage exposed to damp than in parched-up wastes. 



7'i. CORYDALLA RICHAKDI (Vicill.) ? 



I include this species doubtfully, as the large Pipit which 

 I saw in certain places in the coast district, and did not pro- 

 cure, may have been C. striolata. 



73. CoRVus cuLMiNATus, Sykcs. 



This was the common Crow of the Hambantotta ; and I did 

 not observe C. splendens anywhere in the district. This latter 

 is absent from the south-western region (vide Ibis, 1874, p. 23); 

 but it is the common Crow of Balticaloa, the next town to the 

 north-east of Hambantotta, and situated about the centre of 

 the east coast ; how far it extends south of that town I do 

 not know. 



74. Temenuchus pagodarum (Gm.). 



This Mynah, an Indo-Ceylonese form, is very numerous in 

 the open districts bordering on the salt lakes or leways. I 

 saw greater numbers there than I have met with anywhere in 

 the north-east of the island. 



In the first year the head of this species is brown and 

 wants the occipital crest, the throat and sides of neck are 

 pale fulvous white, and the back and wing-coverts pale 

 brownish grey. Soft parts as in adult. 



75. Munia MALACCA, Liuu. 



Inhabits the coast districts and some localities in the Wei- 



