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



247. Platalea leucqrodia, Linn. Chapy-chundan, Mai. ; lit. 

 Spoon-mouth. Lapellaar, Dutch. 



The Spoonbill is common enough in certain localities, Mulle- 

 tivoe, Hambantotte, Tangalle, and Chilaw being the principal. 

 It begins to breed in March in the north, and in the south eggs 

 are hard set in May ; some young birds were also about. Its eggs 

 are — axis 2 in. 6 lines, diam. 1 in. 9 lines, rather oval, chalky- 

 white, with irregular blotches of the colour of dried blood about 

 everywhere. 



248. Nycticorax griseus, Linn. Ra-kana-koka, Cing. 

 Common on the Tangalle lake and such localities. 



249. Tigrisoma melanolopha, Raffles. 



I was fortunate enough to procure two or three specimens of 

 this curious bird about Colombo in the month of November 1852. 

 The natives were quite ignorant of it, and while I had one alive 

 in my house came in great numbers to see it. It certainly was 

 a queer-looking creature ; its eyes were oblong, pupil surrounded 

 by a light yellow iris darkening into a greenish yellow on the 

 outside. The cere of the bill greenish, legs and bill dark green, 

 claws yellow. On being approached it threw itself back on its 

 tarsi, at first uttering a loud hiss which deepened into a harsh 

 cracking bark ; the whole body, head, thighs, wings and neck 

 were inflated with wind and swelled to a great size ; its crest was 

 erected and its ruff expanded ; in this attitude it waited till the 

 object of its dislike drew near enough to be struck with its sharp 

 pointed bill, which inflicted a severe puncture. 



250. Mycteria Australis, Lath. Periakoku, Mai.; lit. Large 

 Heron. Al-koka, Cing. ; lit. Man-Heron, from its size. 



I have only seen a few of these huge waders in the Jaffna 

 estuary at Elephant Pass ; they were always in pairs, wading 

 about in the shallow water, but always far out of gun- shot. 



251. Leptoptilus Javanica, Lath. 



The pouchless Adjutant is occasionally found on the tanks in 

 the Wanny, and about the marshes near Tangalle. ■ I believe it 

 is migratory, as are most of our larger Storks, appearing with 

 the rains. 



252. Ciconia leucocephala, Ginel. Padre-koku, Cing. ; lit. 

 Parson Bird, from its white throat and black plumage ap- 



