8 Lieut. W. V. Legge on the Distribution of 



stridula) enters largely. On some of the lowlands near the 

 sea, and on the banks of the rivers, as also in the valleys of 

 the lower hills, paddy-fields exist; but there is but little 

 land under cultivation compared with other parts of the west 

 coast, the consequence of which, together with the want of 

 " tanks " and inland waters, is that grallatorial and natatorial 

 forms are by no means abundant. The climate of these hills 

 is much cooler than that of corresponding heights in the cen- 

 tral province, owing to their propinquity to the sea, and to their 

 being therefore exposed to the full sweep of both monsoons 

 across the south of the island. This is especially demonstrated 

 in the distribution of birds in the main range, where, with some 

 few exceptions, all the species inhabiting the higher parts of 

 the central zone are to be found in numbers, while, again, 

 many that inhabit what may be termed the intermediate hills of 

 the central province at an average elevation of 2000 feet, aflFect, 

 in these parts, the low forest-clad hills down to within 200 

 feet of the sea-level. This latter fact is due, perhaps, more 

 to the presence of jungle-clad hills of considerable altitude in 

 the immediate vicinity of the sea-coast than to the effect of 

 climate. 



As the locaHty under consideration has never before been 

 explored by ornithologists (at least so far as the wild interior 

 is concerned), I propose to notice all the bii'ds found in it, 

 except a few, which are so universally distributed over the 

 island that their presence here needs no comment, and to 

 touch more particularly upon those which have not been noted 

 previously from this district, and which affect it chiefly owing 

 to the influence of climate and the above-named features of 

 the soil. 



Commencing, in due order, with Raptorial birds, which, so 

 far as some species are concerned, are very well represented, 

 I would note that Neopus malaiensis inhabits the forest-hills 

 and valleys from within a feAV miles of the sea up to the 

 highest parts of the main range. This peculiar form, the 

 largest of our Raptores, is not common in Ceylon ; and this 

 district may be considered its head quarters. Layard pro- 

 cured it in the vicinitv of Adam^s Peak. It is exclusivelv a 



