CURIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL BIRDS OF CEYLON 



By Caset a. Wood 



[With 5 plates] 



The island of Ceylon has for many centuries been known for its 

 advanced ancient and medieval civilization, remains of which are 

 everywhere visible. With this man-made condition and long ante- 

 dating it are those natural wonders, its remarkable flora and fauna. 

 In no other country are there found in so small an area such inter- 

 esting and attractive mammals, reptiles (including snakes and croco- 

 diles), birds, fishes, and insects. Botanically, also, the island is of 

 outstanding importance, with a wealth of exotic plants, particularly 

 the trees and shrubs, many of them bearing richly colored flowers, 

 valuable fruits, and other useful products. 



Geographically, the island is situated almost directly south of the 

 Indian peninsula about 6° north of the Equator, with an extreme 

 length of 270 miles and a greatest width of 137 miles. The country 

 presents an almost unbroken covering of forests interspersed with 

 over a thousand large and small artificial lakes, a central mountain 

 zone, with a few peaks reaching 7,000 feet, and a dozen or more short 

 but important rivers. Despite its large proportion of unsettled 

 jungle and forest, there are many good motor roads giving access to 

 all parts of the island. 



Sinhalese birds nimiber 371 species, of which about 52 are indige- 

 nous. As a modification of this statement it must be remembered 

 that about two-thirds of the avian species found in Ceylon are known 

 to breed or to have bred there, so that these may be regarded as resi- 

 dents. As Wait says, " Not counting about 20 species which may be 

 classed as oceanic wanderers, roughly 125 forms, one-third of the 

 total bird species, are wholly migrant. About 40 of these, however, 

 have been recorded only on a few occasions, and less than one-half 

 of the migrant total are really common and familiar birds. The 

 percentage of migrants is far greater among Ceylon water birds than 

 among the land species, while the general ratio of migrants to resi- 

 dents is far lower in this tropical island than in temperate regions." 



247 



