98 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



(488) Tephrodornis pondieerianus (the Common Wood Shrike). 

 Resident. 

 Gates, Fauna Br. Ind. (Birds), I., p. 475 ; Legge, Birds of 

 Ceylon, p. 372. 

 Above slaty -gray, blackish stripe through eye, superc ilium white, 

 rump white, tail black, breast pale ashy, under parts white. 



(500) Pericrocotus peregrinus, Linn, (the Little Minivet). Resi- 

 dent. 



Gates, Fauna Br. Ind. (Birds), I., p. 487 ; Legge, Birds of 

 Ceylon, p. 366. 

 I have on several occasions seen this bird in Colombo, but its 

 occurrence is rare. It is one of our most brilliantly coloured birds, 

 the plumage of the male being black, scarlet, and orange, contrasting 

 with that of the four or five sombrely clad females which generally 

 accompany him. These latter are without the scarlet. I observed 

 it in March and November in Colombo, and am inclined to think it 

 is a local migrant. 



(508) Campophaga sykesi (the Black-headed Cuckoo Shrike). 



Gates, Fauna Br. Ind. (Birds), I., p. 493 ; Legge, Birds of 

 Ceylon, p. 369. 

 Bill, legs and feet, head, tail and wings black. Upper surface 

 slate-gray. Breast pale gray, below white. Females have the head 

 gray, some white on the rump, and the breast white, barred. 



(512) Artamus fuscus (the Ashy Wood Swallow, or Swallow 

 Shrike). Resident. 



Gates, Fauna Br. Ind. (Birds), I., p. 498; Legge, Birds of 

 Ceylon, p. 666. 

 Resident in the outskirts all the year round. During the last two 

 years I have seen it on the Ridgeway golf links in large numbers. 

 General colouration gray or ashy, and the tail short and square. 

 Spends most of its time on the wing catching insects, in company 

 with swallows and swifts. 



(521) Oriolus melanocephalus (the Indian Black-headed Griole). 



Resident. 



Gates, Fauna Br. Ind. (Birds), I., p. 506; Legge, Birds of 

 Ceylon, p. 357. 



The occurrence of this bird in Colombo is somewhat rare, but it 

 is widely distributed throughout the low-country and hills, and, 

 according to Legge, ascends to Nuwara Eliya. Plumage " shming 

 jet-black and rich yellow." Known as the " Mango-bird " from the 

 resemblance of its colour to the yellow variety of the fruit. A pair 

 of these birds was reported from the Cinnamon Gardens last 

 February. 



