Birds of Colombo. 109 



the " Brain-fever Bird." The male is jet black all over, and the 

 female spotted brown and white. Frequents thick leafy trees and 

 is not often seen. The male bird is not unlike a crow, but can be 

 distinguished from it by its feeble flight, smaller size, and longer tail. 

 The Koel is a parasitic cuckoo, and lays its eggs in the nests of crows. 



Family PSITTACIDM.^ 



(1138) Palseornis torquatus (the Rose-ringed Parrakeet). Resident. 



Blandford, Fauna Br. Ind. (Birds), III., p. 250 ; Legge, Birds 



of Ceylon, p. 171. 



Frequently seen in small flocks of three, six, or even more. Their 



flight is very rapid, and they easily attract attention by the frequent 



utterance of their screaming note, both on the wing and when 



perchmg. The plumage is bright green, a collar of pale red on the 



neck with black edge at the sides. A common cage j)et. A larger 



Parrakeet with red patches on the wings is frequently caged too, but 



I have not seen this species {Palceornis eupatrius, the Alexandrine 



Parrakeet) in its wild state in Colombo. 



The Tamil name of P. torquatus is " Killi," which resembles the 

 note it utters. 



Family ASIONID^. 



Sub-family AsiONiN.aE. 



(1160) Syrnium indrani (the Brown Wood Owl). Resident. 



Blandford, Fauna Br. Ind. (Birds), III., p. 275 ; Legge, Bkds 

 of Ceylon, p. 155, plate V. 

 This fine Owl is reported from Colombo, and its weird and horrible 

 cries, which has earned for it the name of Devil-bird, have been 

 heard at night. A specimen was caught in a Fort store last 

 February. Mr. F. Lewis gives a good account of the cry of this 

 Owl in The Ibis, Vol. IV., No. 15, 1898. 



Sub-family Bubonin^. 

 (1178) Scops bakkamoena (Forster's Scops Owl). Resident. 



Blandford, Fauna Br. Ind. (Birds), III., p. 297; Legge, Bii'ds 

 of Ceylon, p. 135. 

 This little Owl can be heard every night on the roads of Colombo, 

 and its hoot from a tree in the compound must be famihar to every 

 one. 



Family FALCONIDM. 



Sub-family Falcgnin^e. 



(1228) Haliasturindus (the Brahminy Kite). Resident. 



Blandford, Fauna Br. Ind. (Birds), III., p. 372 ; Legge, Birds 

 of Ceylon, p. 76. 

 This bird seems to have only come to Colombo within the last 

 thirty years, for Legge remarks that he has never observed it here; 



