Mr. E. W. H. Holdsworth on Ceylonese Birds. 125 



and possibly Mr. Leggc's pen may have run away with him 

 a little when he described the bird as one of the commonest 

 in that province. He probably obtained it in several local- 

 ities ; but, curiously enough, he only mentions one. 



Such remarks, also, as that Palceornis calthropcR is more 

 abundant in two particular localities on the southern hills 

 ^' than anywhere else in the island," and that Merops phil'tp- 

 pinus " is more abundant in the extreme south than in other 

 parts of Ceylon/^ appear to me somewhat rash, considering 

 Mr. Legge's military duties have prevented his having op- 

 portunities for long-continued observations anywhere except 

 at Colombo, Galle, and Trincomalie. P. calthropcR is a great 

 wanderer ; but I did not meet with it in the south in August, 

 although P. rosa was abundant near the Morowa Korle. M. 

 philippinus used to be so abundant at Aripo, on the northern 

 coast, from the end of September to April, that the very 

 common M. viridis, a resident there, was scarce in compa- 

 rison with it. 



A matter of more consequence to those interested in the 

 ornithological relations of Ceylon to other countries is that 

 Mr. Legge calls the south-east coast of the island '^ that re- 

 markably Indo-Ceylonese region" where all the peninsular 

 birds found in the island are met with (p. 25) . It would not 

 be difficult to make a pretty long list of Indo-Ceylonese species 

 which have not yet been recorded from there ; but it is well 

 known that the quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, insects, and plants 

 of the northern portion of the island are specially Indian in 

 their character, and that very few of the peculiar Ceylonese 

 forms are found there. The latter are to be met with only in 

 the southern half, with a few exceptions ; and the northern 

 half is undoubtedly the Indo-Ceylonese region. 



There are many portions of Mr. Legge^s interesting paper 

 which deserve notice ; but I must keep within the space at 

 my command. I hope Mr. Legge will be able to clear up the 

 mystery of the Devil bird ; but he must not trust too much to 

 the negative evidence afforded by the silence of his Sijrnium 

 indranee, as Owls rarely utter their peculiar cries in captivity. 

 Remarkable vocal powers might be expected from Batracho- 



