Sabaragamuiva Province, Ceylon. 525 



scarce and is only occasionally found. In the dry zone it is 

 not quite so common as in the moister parts of Sabara- 

 gamuwa, but as it to a great extent follows man, its seeming- 

 decrease of numbers is possibly in proportion to sparse 

 peopling of the ''Bintenna'^ country. 



It nests in tall high trees, often selecting the highest 

 branches of cotton -trees on which to build its loosely-con- 

 structed nest. As already stated, the true Indian Koel 

 deposits its eggs in the nest of this Crow, and it is noticeable 

 that whenever the opportunity occurs the Black Crow never 

 ceases to persecute the Koel, which it naturally regards as 

 its enemy. 



This species quite takes the place of C. splendens, so 

 common on the Western-Province coast. 



71. CiSSA ORNATA (LcggC, B. of C. p. 353, pi. XV.). 



This handsome Jay is peculiar to Ceylon, and its distri- 

 bution in the province is somewhat remarkable. I have met 

 with it at the highest altitudes, and again at the foot of the 

 hills on the confines of the dry zone. Even in so wet a 

 district as Bamberabolowa, at the foot of the Peak range, 

 I have found it common and nesting. Again, on the out- 

 lying range of hills that jut out into the plains from 

 Rukwana I have obtained it, but the limit appears to be 

 bounded more by the rainfall than by altitude, as I have 

 found it nesting at 1500 feet and at 4500 feet above 

 the sea. 



The nest is a large roughly-built structure, made of small 

 sticks and twigs, with a fairly large depression in the middle, 

 with little or no " lining. '^ I obtained three eggs in De- 

 cember, of a pale bluish ground-colour, with spots, blotches, 

 and streaks of umber-brown, that fades into the ground-colour 

 in places, so as to give a brownish-blue tint. 



72. Oriolus melanocephalus (Legge, B. of C. p. 357). 

 A common bird in the province, but more abundant in 



drier parts of it than in the wet. I have obtained examples 

 up to 3000 feet, but have not seen it above that altitude. 



