Mr. E. L. Layard on the Ornithology of Ceylon. 265 



258. Numenius Ph^eopus, Linn. 



Neither of these species seem ever to be found in the interior. 



259. Totanus fuscus, Linn. 



260. Totanus ochropus, Linn. 



261. Totanus calidris, Linn. 



262. Totanus hypoleucos, Linn. 



263. Totanus glottis, Linn. 



264. Totanus stagnatilis, Bechst. 



265. Actitis glareola, Gmel. 



266. Tringa minuta, Leis. 



267. Tringa subarquata, Gmel. 



268. Tringa platyrhyncha, Gould, B. E. pi. 331. Ola-watua, 

 Cing. Cotan, Tarn. 



These birds are generally distributed in all parts of the island 

 where mud and water combine to offer them congenial homes. 

 Totanus hypoleucos is found high up in the hilly country, fre- 

 quenting the streams, walking upon the boulders which appear 

 above the foaming torrents, in search of flies, or running on the 

 sand in the shallow pools to feed upon the minute crustaceans 

 which abound in such localities. 



Tringa platyrhyncha is the rarest of the whole ; one or two 

 specimens were procured at Pt. Pedro, where also I procured a 

 single pair of 



269. Limosa ^gocephala, Linn. 



These I killed in the month of April in fine plumage. 



270. Himantopus candidus, Bonn. Poulhw-kall, Mai.; lit. 

 " Long-legs." 



Abundant in small flocks about the jungle tanks. They are 

 by no means shy, but will suffer a near approach, and often 

 alight on the same spot, though shot at several times ; in flying 

 they carry their long legs stretched out behind them, and utter 

 a shrill cry of " wheet, wheet/' which, when many join in chorus, 

 is not an unmusical sound. 



271. Recurvirostris avocetta, Linn. 



A pair of these birds were shot by my esteemed friend 

 D. Quinton, Esq., at Chundicolom near Jaffna, on the estuary. 



