ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 60 



Family Alaudidce. 



Pyrrhulauda grisea (the Indian Finch Lark). — Very common at 

 Jaffna, and also observed at Trincomalee. A specimen Avas shot at 

 Kalmunai (Jaffna). 



Family Artamidce. 



Artamus fuscus (the Ashy Swallow Shrike). — Very common at 

 Kaddukkamunai and Kottiar. Several were shot. 



Family Sturnidce. 



Acridotheres melarwsternus (the Common Mynah). — Very common 

 at Batticaloa. They were evidently nesting, as several were noticed 

 emerging from holes in trees. 



Order COLUMB^. 



Family ColumbidoB, 



Turtur suratensis. — Common at Kaddukkamunai, Kottiar, and 

 Tamblegam. 



Family Gouridce. 



Chalcophaps iridim. (the Bronze-winged Dove). — Very common at 

 Tamblegam and the jungles round Trincomalee. 



Order GALLIN^E. 



Family Phasianidce. 



Gallus lafayettii (the Ceylon Jungle Fowl). — Common at Tamble- 

 gam. Two hens were observed at the turn-off to Kanniya, on the 

 Trincomalee -Anuradhapura road, cackling most vigorously in the 

 jungle. I succeeded in approaching within a few yards of them, but 

 was not able to locate them exactly until they discovered my 

 presence and dashed off. It almost seemed as though they had each 

 laid an egg in nests within a couple of yards' radius and were pro- 

 claiming the fact in the usual waj'', but a rapid search failed to reveal 

 any sign of a nest, and the cackling may have been due to alarm 

 by a snake, or some such cause. 



Family Tetraonidce. 



Ortygornis pondiceriana (the Gray Partridge). — A pair of these 

 birds were observed at Kalmunai (Jaffna) . They fiew out of a clump 

 of cacti near the seabeach, and one (a male) was shot. 



Family Tinamidce. 

 Turnix taigoor (the Bustard Quail). — A female specimen was shot 

 in some low scrub near the sea at Kayts. 



