Mr. E. L. Layard on the Ornithology of Ceylon. 59 



pears during the fruiting of the cinnamon trees ; the natives all 

 assure me of this ; but there is another bird called Kurrundoo 

 cobeya, i. e. Cinnamon Dove, which is confused with it, or else 

 this has two names. A relative of mine, however, who was formerly 

 in charge of the Government Cinnamon Department, informs me 

 that many years ago, when the south of the island was not so 

 much cultivated as at present, there used to arrive at the fruiting 

 season, flocks of a small pigeon which fed on the cinnamon, and 

 which he could not identify with any I showed him ; he called 

 them Kurrundoo cobeya, and said he had not seen any of late 

 years. I have sometimes thought this might prove to be Treron 

 aromatica, Gmel. 



210. Caiipophaga Torringtonii, Kelaart. Mahavillagoya of 

 the Ceylonese Mountaineers, apud Kelaart. 



Mr. Blyth is disposed to consider this as only a variety of 

 C. Elphinstonei, Sykes, of the Nilgiris, but Mr. Strickland at 

 once pronounced it to be distinct ; if so, Dr. Kelaart's name will 

 stand. 



Not having seen it alive, I must refer to his ' Prodromus Faunae 

 Zeylanicse ' for particulars of its habits ; he says (page 108) — " It 

 is an arboreal species seen only in pairs ; flies high and in long 

 sweeps : their nests are formed on lofty trees." 



211. Columba intermedia, Strickland. 



This species is extremely local, being confined to two places, 

 " Pigeon Island," off Trincomalie, and a rock off the southern 

 coast near Barberryn. From these it, of course, makes incursions 

 into the interior, and I have heard of specimens being shot at 

 Vavonia-Vlancolom, on the great central road, about fifty miles 

 from Trincomalie. 



212. Turtur RisoRius, Linn. Cally-prda, Mai.; from their 

 frequenting the Euphorbia hedges called " Colly " by the 

 Malabars. Rinyel Duyven of the Dutch descendants. 



Extremely abundant in the northern province, and indeed 

 wherever the country is favourable to the growth of the Euphorbia 

 antiquorum. It breeds in the spring, fabricating a loose, careless 

 nest, of small twigs, in the Euphorbia trees, in which it deposits 

 two oval and shining white eggs. Axis 14 lines; diam. 11 lines. 

 While residing in the north, or in my jungle trips, I found them 

 a wholesome and pleasing addition to my table, frequently kill- 

 ing from twenty to thirty of them and of T. Suratensis in two 

 or three hours. 



