Birds in Southern Ceylon. 13 



in extent than the males. Hirundo hyperythra is very nu- 

 merous, and breeds in store-rooms and such places in the Fort 

 of Galle, the nest being a very large structure with a spout- 

 like entrance. Collocalia nidifica is numerous in the north- 

 east monsoon about the neighbouring hills of Galle, and also 

 in the Morowa Korle mountains. Cypselus affinisi^ a winter 

 visitor to this region, being generally met with on close rainy 

 evenings along the sea-shore, darting after the countless in- 

 sects with which the atmosphere then swarms. Acanthylis gi- 

 gantea is an inhabitant of the upper ranges of hills, and is found 

 there at a much lower elevation than in the central province. 

 It is numerous in the great hill-forest tract known as the Singha 

 Rajah wilderness. In the evenings it appears in great numbers, 

 descending, probably, from the immense heights where it has 

 been hunting during the day, and dashes up and down and 

 across the wild mountain-gorges with an incredible rapidity. 

 Dendrochelidon coronata is plentiful here, and resident all the 

 year round, affecting chiefly the sides of rocky wooded hills, 

 particularly where there are dead trees, on which they pass 

 much of their time. Harpactes fasciatus is found throughout 

 the whole southern hills down to the forests of the low country. 

 Of the three Bee-eaters of Ceylon, Merops philippensis and M. 

 quinticolor are common, the former arriving here in September 

 and rapidly spreading itself over the whole country to the 

 highest parts of the hills, the latter resident on the rivers of the 

 south-west to within twenty miles inland and breeding in 

 June and July in the holes in the banks by the water's edge. 

 These beautiful little Bee-eaters are numerous on the Gin- 

 durah river, and pass the day perched in the branches of tall 

 trees near the bank, from which they sally out in quest of 

 insects. The larger bird comes to this country for the greater 

 part in young plumage, in most cases with either one long 

 tail-feather or both the uropygials short. These would ap- 

 pear to be moulted one at a time, and one mature attenuated 

 feather acquired before the second short one is dropped. It 

 is noteworthy that this bird is more abundant in the extreme 

 south than in other parts of Ceylon. On a rainy evening, 

 when the atmosphere is aKve with winged ants and other in- 



