120 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



Distribution. — A migrant to Ceylon, found during the 

 north-east monsoon over the low-country, but nowhere 

 abundant. It does not appear to ascend the hills to a height 

 of over 3,500 feet. The species ranges from Japan and 

 Siberia in the north to India, Java, and the Philippines. 

 It breeds mainly in the north of its range and on the Himalayas, 

 but some birds appear to be resident in other parts of India, 

 and a few loiter in Ceylon, as it has been obtained in the 

 Island in June. 



Habits. — A solitary, quiet, but tame bird, which frequently 

 escapes notice. It generally keeps to the boughs of shady 

 trees either in the forest or even in gardens in the middle of 

 habitations and close to frequented paths. It sits motionless 

 for long periods, darting out at times from its perch to catch 

 insects. 



Alseonax muttui. 

 Layard's Flycatcher. 

 Alseonax muttui (Gates, Vol. II., p. 36 ; Legge, p. 417). 



Description. — Head and nape olive -brown, shading through 

 the rufous-brown of the back into bright rufous-brown on the 

 rump and upper tail coverts ; wing coverts and quills brown, 

 edged with the hue of the rumj) ; tail brown, the outer webs 

 washed with rufous ; lores and a conspicuous ring round the 

 eye white ; ear coverts olive-brown ; chin and throat white ; 

 cheeks, sides of neck, breast, and flanks yellowish-brown ; 

 abdomen and under tail coverts white. 



Bill dark brown above, pale horny yellow beneath ; iris 

 hazel brown ; legs and feet pale j-ellow. 



Length 5*4; wing 2*8; tail 2-1; tarsus '55; bill from 

 gape '7. 



Distribution. — This species apparently breeds in Sikkim 

 and other parts of the Himalayas. It winters in Travancore 

 and Ceylon, and seems to migrate down the centre of the 

 peninsula, as it has been obtained in October in the Deccan, 

 while on passage. As with the last species, some birds appear 

 to loiter, for the first specimen recorded was obtained by 



