194 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



Distribution. — A fairly common north-east monsoon 

 migrant, arriving in October and leaving in April. It spreads 

 all over the Island, but only occasionally visits elevations of 

 over 5,000 feet. It occurs over practically the whole of India 

 proper, but in many parts in the north and south of its range 

 it is a seasonal migrant. 



Habits. — A shy bird, which keeps to thick cover in under- 

 growth, secondary jungle, and thick woods. It may occasion- 

 ally be seen in the evening flitting from one cover to another. 

 Its presence is usually made known by its shrill rather pleasant 

 call, which is uttered chiefly in the early morning and evening, 

 and is weU expressed by the vernacular names — avichchiya in 

 Sinhalese and ayitta in Tamil. Birds on their first arrival 

 on the west coast are much exhausted by their flight, and 

 frequently take shelter in town gardens or even bungalows. 

 Stray specimens occasionally loiter, and have been obtained 

 during the south-west monsoon, but it is not likely to be 

 found breeding in Ceylon. 



Explanation of the Plates. 



Plate I. 



Fig. 1.- — ^Parus major mahrattarum ; X ^. 

 Fig. 2.' — Molpastes hsemorrhous hsemorrhous ; X ^. 

 Fig. 3. — Dissemurus paradiseus ceylonensis ; X ^. 

 Fig. 4.' — Lanius schach erythronotus ; X ^. 

 Fig. 5. — Eulabes ptilogenys ; X ^. 



Plate II. 



Fig. 1. — Acridotheres tristis melanosternus ; X |. 



Fig. 2.' — Merula kinnisi ; X J. 



Fig. 3.' — Munia malacca ; X |. 



Fig. 4.' — Alauda gulgula australis ; X j. 



Fig. 5.- — Zosterops ceylonensis ; X |. 



