300 SrOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



During the Acting Directorship of Mr. Gerard A. Joseph, I was 

 sent by him on a collecting expedition to the southern part of the 

 Island in July, 1910, and on that trip, when in the boundary of the 

 Southern and Uva Provinces, I left the camp very early one morning 

 accompanied by a tracker, and proceeded to the Kirindi-oya, about 

 two miles from Lunuganwehera. Whilst traversing the river beds, 

 daring then the driest season of the year (only a little water being 

 found here and there under the roots of the kumbuk trees), I came 

 across several monkeys {Semno'pithecus priamus), the Madras 

 Langur ; and whilst walking about two miles further on, I espied at 

 a distance of 600 yards two large-sized mungoose near the water 

 edge by a huge kumbuk tree, but as soon as they saw me they 

 disappeared into the jungle. I visited the spot where I first saw them 

 and found a quantity of dead putrid fish, some floating in the water. 

 Feeling that the fish must have been the attraction that brought the 

 mungoose to the spot, I watched there under cover of a bush, and 

 after an hour or two I saw a large-sized mungoose approach the 

 water-hole. Keeping very quiet till the animal came within about 

 100 yards from me I fired and secured the specimen. In all my 

 various jungle travels in Ceylon, extending over twenty-seven years, 

 I had never before come across this rare species of mungoose, so 

 I was naturally very pleased. The specimen was a full-grown male. 

 The next morning I re-visited the same spot where good luck had 

 rewarded me the day before, and kept watch in the same bush, 

 and was so fortunate that within half an hour another of the same 

 species, which at first I took for the ruddy mungoose, appeared on 

 the scene, which shared the same fate as the previous one. This 

 too happened to be a male, somewhat smaller than the first one, 

 but with better fur. I paid several other visits to the spot, and 

 kept silent watch in the hope of securing a female to complete 

 the collection, but all my efforts were of no avail. I, however, got 

 specimens of the ruddy mungoose {Herpestes smithi) in the vicinity 

 and a few birds. I hope to be able in July ne^t to go to the same 

 place, and trust fortune will again smile on me, and that I shall be 

 able to complete the collection in the Museum by getting a female 

 of the very rare Herpestes vitticollis. 



The specimens of this expedition, the two male stripe-necked 

 mtmgoose and the ruddy mungoose, have been mounted by me in 

 a group, and they adorn the MammaHan Gallery. I hope that the 

 group may be added to and made more attractive by the addition 

 of a female or two of this rare species later on. 



Colombo Museum, May 2, 1912. H. F. FERNANDO. 



33. Note on " Orthotomus sutorius" {the Indian Tailor Bird). — 

 This interesting little bird is essentially a creature that appears to 

 have no choice of situation, frequenting gardens, cultivated districts, 

 and open country, as well as thick jungle' and the depths of the 



