BIKDS OF CEYLON WOOD 253 



that the Moorman [not much liked by the aboriginal Sinhalese] and 

 the crow are not found." " The crow also said, ' It is bad to play 

 with bows and arrows.'" As showing his ingratitude, "The pea- 

 cocks gave shelter to a crow who, in return for their hospitality, 

 showed a hunter the way to their roost." As to his insatiable appe- 

 tite and greed, " Even in the three watches of the night he is faint 

 for want of food." " Only when he swallows a rag dipped in ghee 

 [liquid butter] will the crow feel full." — (Nell.) 



The Ceylon magpie robin {Copsyohus saularh ceylonensis) , the 

 coconut bird or the dawn bird, is heard in the early morning and 

 evening. It has a song clear and sweet, although less melodious dur- 

 ing the day, when it seems to repeat " miyachchi ", or " dead ", and 

 hence is regarded as a bird of ill omen. The call is said to announce 

 evil tidings. It is believed by the Hindus to be the incarnation of 

 Huniyan-yaka, bringing misfortune to the healthy and death to the 

 sick, and the villagers pelt it with stones to drive it away from 

 their dwellings. If this bird builds a nest in a cabin, it is thought 

 to be a great misfortune. — (Nell.) 



The Sinhalese explain the sorrowful note of the Ceylon spotted 

 or ash dove as follows : A woman placed some kebella berries in the 

 sun to dry and told her son to watch them carefully while she was 

 away gathering firewood. As they dried they stuck to the ground 

 so that they could barely be seen, and on her return she accused the 

 boy of eating the fruit, and in her rage she struck and unfortunately 

 killed him. She then in remorse killed herself and was transformed 

 into a spotted dove, and she now flies through the forest mourning 

 her lost son with the well-known cry of " pubbaru puta pu pu " or 

 " Oh ! my young son." 



The black patch on the throat of the male Indian house sparrow is, 

 according to the legend, due to fire in a house where a pair had a 

 nest, The hen flew away, but the cock battled bravely through the 

 flames to rescue his young in the nest beneath the eaves. He scorched 

 his throat and the mark still remains to testify to his bravery and 

 paternal love. The building of a nest and breeding by sparrows in a 

 house is considered a good omen, and to encourage them in this, chat- 

 ties (earthern bowls) are often hung on the walls. If a sparrow 

 makes a nest and rears her young in the house, the next child born 

 to the owner will be a boy. Sparrows' eggs broken and accompanied 

 by proper incantations make a charm to stop an objectionable tom- 

 tom by causing the collapse of the instrument. The shell reduced to 

 powder, placed on a betel leaf, and mixed with certain other ingre- 

 dients makes a potent love philter. 



Ceylon is abundantly supplied with interesting flycatchers of all 

 sizes and colors. The beautiful paradise flycatcher is called by the 



