55U On the Land birds of Sabaragamuwa Province, Ceylon. 



on the nidification of this well-known Pigeon^ but beyond 

 a vague statement that it nests on the tops of very high trees, 

 la m unable to give any satisfactory evidence. 



163. OSMOTRERON BTCINCTA (LcggC, B. of C. p. 725). 



Confined to the south-eastern part of the province, where 

 I have found it only sparingly. I came upon it in abundance 

 on the banks of the Wallaway river at Ridiyagama, but not 

 to the northward. 



16i. OsMOTRERON POMPABORA (LcggC, B. of C. p. 728). 



The common ''Green Pigeon" of the country. It is 

 common all over the province up to 2.500 feet. 



I obtained a single nest taken in the Gillimali valley, but 

 the young had been hatched. The nest was particularly 

 small for so large a bird^ and lined with soft spongy moss. 



GALLING. 



165. Pavo cRisTATUs (Lcggc, B, of G. p. 731). 



The Peacock — the "Monara^'of the Singalese — is purely 

 a dry-country bird in the province. In the Kukulu Korah it 

 is said by the natives to have at one time been common, and 

 up to 1893 I know a solitary male bird to have lived in 

 one of the forests within the wet-zone area, but I am not 

 able to record evidence of distribution outside the dry belt 

 adjoining the Southern Province. I have not taken the 

 eggs myself, but have repeatedly seen chicks that had been 

 captured by the natives. 



166. Gallus LAEAYETTi (Lcgge, B. of C. p. 736, pis. xxxi. 

 & xxxii.). 



This magnificent bird is known all over the province in 

 both wet and dry zones, but is more abundant in the latter 

 than in the former areas, as a general rule. During the 

 period when the '^Nillo" — a Strobilanthus — is in seed the 

 Jungle-fowls become very abundant, and hundreds of them 

 are shot down in the hill-country. In one district I can 

 remember seeing the Jungle-fowls being put up right out in 

 the middle of the estates and away from forest. 



The question of the crossing of this species with the 



