530 Mr. F. Lewis on the Land-birds of 



The lowest level at which I have seen it is in the valley of 

 the Wallaway river. I have obtained several nests, frequently 

 in mossy banks and in moss-covered rocks, and also in old 

 dead tree-stumps. The eggs are from three to four in 

 number, of a pale, soft, white ground-colour, splashed and 

 speckled with dull red. 



89. SiPHIA TICKELLI.E (Lcggc, B. of C. p. 421). 



Fairly common throughout the moister parts of the 

 province and ascending to about 3000 feet. It is frequently 

 to be met with in the native gardens, especially so about the 

 town of Kegalla. In the forests round the Adam's Peak 

 mountain it frequently occurs, as also in the forests of the 

 Rukwana district. 



90. MUSCICAPA HYPERYTHRA (LcggC, B. of C. p. 428). 



A migratory species, arriving with the N.E. monsoon and 

 rapidly spreading over the hill-districts of the province. 



Its distribution is somewhat curious for a migrant, as it 

 ia rarely found below 2000 feet; but in order to become 

 suddenly plentiful, as it does, at high altitudes, it must 

 clearly pass over a long space of wooded country, hundreds, 

 if not thousands, of feet below its altitude of flight during 

 migration. Equally its departure must be from a high 

 level, as it disappears as suddenly as it arrives ; while again, 

 as noticed by Legge, it often deserts places where, during 

 previous seasons, it was an abundant visitor. 



91. Pratincola bicoloh (Legge, B, of C. p. 430). 



A resident hill-species, and, so far as the distribution in 

 Sabaragamuwa goes, found only on the Horton Plains and 

 on the grass-covered hills above Galagama. It quite takes 

 the place in the mountain-plains of the succeeding species, 

 and may be regarded as plentiful. 



I obtained a nest from a hollow in an old rhododendron- 

 tree with one egg, of a soft faint green colour, closely 

 mottled and streaked with red-brown, forming almost a cap 

 on the broad end. 



