98 Mr. E. L. Layard on the Ornithology of Ceylon. 



vented by the malady which has caused my return to England. 

 I may add, I have never admitted the native name of a bird, 

 until, by repeatedly questioning different and unconnected par- 

 ties, I have assured myself of its correctness. The classification 

 and nomenclature I have adopted from Dr. Gray's Catalogue of 

 the Birds in the British Museum, and the identification of the 

 specimens has been made by my kind friend Mr. Blyth, of the 

 Hon. East India Company's Museum in Calcutta. 



The list numbers upwards of 300 species, and will be succeeded, 

 if you approve of it, by a similar list of the terrestrial and flu- 

 viatile MoUusca. 



1. Aquila Bonellii, Temm. 



This eagle was procm-ed by E,. Templeton, Esq., R.A., several 

 years ago, and I do not know from what part of the island it was 

 obtained. It has not fallen under my notice, nor has Dr. Kelaart 

 enumerated it amongst his acquisitions at NuM'era Elia ; I can 

 therefore say nothing of its habits. 



2. Aquila pennata, Gmel. 



I shot the only specimen of this small eagle yet seen in the 

 island, on an open plain near Pt. Pedro. I was awaiting the 

 return of my carriage from Warrany, and took shelter from the 

 heavy morning dew (it was scarcely daylight) under an old Bo- 

 tree {Ficus relifiiosa), when my attention was caught by the evo- 

 lutions of what I took for an immature specimen of our common 

 fish hawk, Haliastur Indus. It struck me the flight was rathei- 

 different, but this I attributed to the darkness of the hour. 

 Suddenly it pounced upon a bulbul roosting in an oleander 

 bush : this at once undeceived me, and as it rose with its victim 

 in its claws, I fired and brought it to the ground. It fought 

 with determined spirit and kept a small terrier at bay, till I 

 killed it with the butt-end of my gun. 



3. Spizaetus Nipalensis, Hodgs. 



Dr. Kelaart procured this noble bird near Badulla, at an ele- 

 vation of some 4000 feet. I know nothing of its habits, as it 

 never fell under my notice. 



4. Spizaetus Limnaetus, Horsf. 



This species is common and widely distributed. I have shot 

 it at Hambantotte, Matura, Colombo, Pt. Pedro, and in the 

 Anooradapoora Wanny ; I have also observed it at Ratnapoora 

 and Ambegamoa, and Dr. Kelaart obtained it at Nuwcra Elia. 

 It is a bold and daring bird, striking fowls before the doors, even 



