292 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
Others, again, from further east may cross the Western 
Himalayas and come down the Indus. The Indus valley and 
west coast fly line would also serve many of our visitors from 
the Western Himalayas as far east as Cashmere. 
Some species may come to us by both routes. The Large 
Sand Plover (Agialitis geoffroyi) breeds in Japan and 
Eastern China. In winter it is a shore bird, found all along 
the coasts of the Indian Ocean, from Australia to Africa. 
Birds proceeding to western winter quarters probably cross 
over the mountain ranges from Thibet and so down the Indus 
valley. On arrival at the mouth of the Indus birds going to 
Africa would cross to the Arabian coast, others would turn 
south-east down the west coast of India. More easterly 
migrants would come down the Brahmaputra and the east 
coast of India. These two routes would meet in Southern 
India, so that Ceylon birds may arrive from either direction. 
Again, some migrants, especially hill species, may come 
overland most of the way south, keeping down the line of 
the Ghauts. 
As regards the actual crossing from India to Ceylon and 
vice versa, we have a good many indications to show that there 
are two main routes: one which strikes the shore at or near 
Colombo, and the other into the north of the Island along the 
belt of shallows from Point Pedro to Mannar. There is no 
doubt that a good many of our migrants use the Colombo 
route. Exhausted specimens of such species as the Indian 
Pitta (Pitta brachyura) and the Banded Crake (Rallina 
euryzonoides) are found from time to time at the beginning 
of the north-east monsoon in Colombo gardens. They are 
generally in a very exhausted state, and have evidently just 
landed. Again, the earliest Snipe of the season are usually 
obtained in the Western Province, while the Blue-tailed 
Bee-eater (Merops philippinus) appears in the south-west 
as soon as in other parts of the Island. As a matter of 
fact, Colombo is just the place where one might expect the 
arrival of the Indian west coast route migrants, which would 
take off at Cape Comorin; but the early presence of the 
Pintailed Snipe would seem to show that it is not confined 
to such birds, unless it be that the early Snipe cross over to 
