18 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
Out of the genus Palxornis we have five species, two of 
which are peculiar to the Island. One of these, P. ewpatria— 
our large Parroquet—is found nearly all over the Island, and 
the difference between it and P. nepalensis, which is widely 
distributed in Northern India, is very slight. 
The beautiful Blossom-headed Parroquets have in general a 
much more local range. 
P. cyanocephalus—the Western Blossom-headed Parroquet— 
may be met with in suitable localities in Ceylon and the 
Peninsula of India. P. calthrope—Layard’s Parroquet—is 
confined to the centre and south-west of our Island, being 
replaced in the Malabar tract by P. columboides, which is 
rather doubtfully recorded from Ceylon. 
Loriculus indicus—the Ceylonese Loriquet—belongs to the 
Malabar contingent. The genus is represented by our species, 
which is found in the central and south-western parts of the 
Island, and by Loriculus vernalis, which in the Indian 
Peninsula occurs only on the Malabar hills, though it re- 
appears in the Eastern Himalayas and Burma. 
Of the Owls—Striges—we have eleven species. 
Strix flammea—the Barn Owl—though distributed through- 
out India, with us occurs only in the Jaffna Peninsula. 
Asio accipitrinus—the Short-eared Owl—was unknown in 
Ceylon until a few years ago, when a good many specimens 
suddenly appeared in the Western Province. 
Syrnium indrani—the Brown Wood Owl—one of the 
candidates for the post of the Devil Bird, occurs most com- 
monly in the Kandyan forests, but extends wherever there is 
high jungle. It ranges through the Malabar coast, and is 
found on the Himalayas, but would appear to be rare or 
wanting in the Carnatic. 
Huhua nepalensis—the Forest Eagle Owl—connects us with 
the Himalayas. It is a hill species, also occasionally found in 
the forests at the base of the mountains. Its range south of the 
Ganges is restricted to the South Indian hills and Ceylon. 
Scops giu—the Little Scops Owl—is found all over the Empire, 
but Ceylon specimens show slight differences from those of the 
peninsula. The same may be said of Scops bakkamena—the 
Collared Scops Owl—which is so common round Colombo, 
