ISLAND OF CEYLON. 207 



" It picks up a dead leaf, and, furprifing to relate, fews it to 

 " the lide of a living; one, its flender bill being its needle, and 

 " its thread fome fine fibres ; the lining, feathers, goflTamer, 

 " and down. Its eggs are white: the color of the bird, light 

 " yellow ; its length three inches ; its weight only three fix- 

 " teenths of an ounce; fo that the materials of the neft, and its 

 " own fize, are not likely to draw down a habitation that de- 

 " pends on fo flight a tenure." 



Two fly-catchers, of uncommon form, attradt the eyes of all Fly-Catcher, 

 flrangers : fmall birds, wdth tails of enormous length, darting 

 through the air like arrows. Both are engraved by Mr. Ed- 

 wards, one in tab. T13, of a black and white color, with a cunei- 

 form tail; the other with a rufous back and tail, and two fea- 

 thers exceeding the others in length by near nine inches. 



As thefe are remarkable for the length of their tails, a pie, 

 engraven by Mr. Edwards, in tab. 324, is diftinguiflied for the 

 ridiculous brevity of that part, and alfo. for the beauty of its 

 colors. Einnans calls it Corvus Br achy urns. 



Swallows (I do not know the fpecies) never quit Ceylon. 



Pigeons in India afliime the raoft beautiful colors. The Pigeon. 

 pompadour pigeon of this ifland, Brozvn's lUuJlr. tab. xix. xx. 

 the general color of which is a fine pale green ; the male di{^ 

 tinguiftied by having the coverts of the wings of a fine pom- 

 padour color, is one proof. I mention this in particular, on 

 account of its hiftory ; but more fo for that of the magnificent 

 tree on which it ufually alights to feed. 



This fpecies fwarms in certain feafons in the ifland of C?y- FicusIndica. 

 Ion, particularly when the fruit of the Eicus Indica, or broad 



leaved 



