10 Lieut. W. V. Lcgge on the Distribution of 



its shrillness and great clearness. I have seen but one or two 

 examples of Milvus govinda on the south coast ; but Haliastur 

 Indus is exceedingly numerous everywhere, breeding on high 

 trees some distance inland. It is noticeable with what ease 

 this bird indulges in its favourite habit of eating its food from 

 the talons when flying about : these members are brought 

 forward under the breast ; and, with a combined backward and 

 upward pull from the legs and shoiilders respectively, pieces 

 are torn from the booty with but little exertion. While skim- 

 ming along they sometimes pick off a luckless Calotes very 

 cleverly, which has happened to be indulging in a bask on 

 the topmost twigs of some low tree. The noble Blagrus leu- 

 cogaster is sparingly distributed in suitable localities round 

 the south-west corner of the island ; but the flat shores of the 

 Kattregam district are its great haunt. Micronisus badius 

 and Tinnunculus alaudarius are pretty common, the latter, of 

 course, only a winter visitor in immature plumage, in districts 

 where there are sea-coast cliffs, in which it always roosts, Astur 

 trivirgatus I have procured in immature plumage from the 

 wooded hills on the coast some twenty miles north of Galle, 

 and, I have no doubt, is to be found during the north-east 

 monsoon throughout the district. Elanus melanopterus was 

 an unexpected addition to my good things from the citronella- 

 grass districts to the north of Galle. I had supposed it was 

 chiefly a hill-species ; but I also saw it much on the south-east 

 coast ; it hovers a great deal over long grass, like a Kestrel. 

 Poliornis teesa, I think, has never been recorded from Ceylon ; 

 but a fine immature male came into my possession last Oc- 

 tober, which was killed on the sea-coast close to Galle. I 

 have no doubt that when ornithology is more studied in this 

 island and more birds preserved than at present, many mem- 

 bers of Indian Falconidse which have not yet been noticed, 

 will be found to stray over the island when the prevailing wind 

 is from the north. 



Of Circinse, the only two species that are common are Circus 

 swainsonii and C. aruginosus ; both affect by choice swampy 

 lands and paddy-fields. The latter bird arrives in the south 

 in the middle of October, and is very numerous close to the 



