108 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



In the following key I give the length of each bird, to assist the 

 beginner in identifying each species : — 



Plumage entirely black, rump and sides of rump 

 white ; tail short and square ; length about 

 5 to 5|^ in. . . . .0. a/finis. 



Plumage smoky brown, tail long and deeply 



forked ; length about 5 in. . . T. hatassiensis. 



Plumage above " bluish ashy," gray below, white 

 under tail-coverts ; tail long, attenuated, 

 and deeply forked ; crested ; length about 

 9*5in. . . . . . .M. coronata. 



Note. — I have on one or two occasions seen another Swift in 

 Colombo, which I have been unable to identify. It is entirely 

 blackish-brown, has a very vigorous flight, and is not at all unlike 

 C. apus (the European Swift) in size. This species so far has only 

 been recorded in the north of India, and one specimen was shot in 

 the Andaman Islands. It was in November that I saw the bird 

 mentioned. 



Family CAPRI MULGIDM. 



(1091) Caprimulgus asiaticus (the Common Indian Nightjar). 

 Resident. 



Blandford, Fauna Br. Ind. (Birds), III., p. 186 ; Legge, Birds 

 of Ceylon, p. 343. 



Common about open spaces in Colombo. The plumage is beauti- 

 fully mottled, but the bird can more readily be noticed by its note. 

 I do not think ornithologists have emphasized how remarkable this 

 note really is. Jerdon says : "Its usual note is like the sound of a 

 stone scudding over the ice." Legge reiterates this, and adds : 

 " This pecuhar note has given rise to its name ' Ice-bird' ; and not 

 unappropriate it is, too, notwithstanding that the idea does not 

 assimilate well with a temperature of 84'^ Fahr. ! " However 

 extraordinary the resemblance may be, to my mind the most remark- 

 able thing is that not only is the scudding of the stone exactly true, 

 but one can even hear the ring of the ice. I have frequently pointed 

 this out on heaiing the note, and all agree that the ring of the ice is 

 most faithfully reproduced. 



Family CUCULIDM. 



Sub-family Phcenicophain^. 



(1120) Eudynamis honorata (the Indian Koel). Resident. 



Blandford, Fauna Br. Ind, (Birds), III., p. 228; Legge, Birds 

 of Ceylon, p. 251. 



Common during certain months of the year. Most frequently 

 heard at the commencement of the hot weather, the monotony of 

 its oft-repeated note, ku-il ku-il, having earned for it the title of 



