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



April and May, nestling in hollow trees and the crevices of rocks. 

 The iris of this species is red-brown, and it sees very clearly by 

 day, being even then most difficult of approach. 



25. Athene scutellata, Raffles. Punchy bassa, Cing. 



Like the preceding, this species was either very rare, or cu- 

 riously eluded the observation of both Dr. Templeton and myself 

 for a long period; indeed I was nearly eight years in Ceylon 

 before I saw a single specimen. One brilliant moonlight night, 

 however, in November last, I heard as I supposed the lowing 

 note of the " bronze-vnnged pigeon" [Clialcophaps indicus) ; think- 

 ing it very unusual at this time of night, 1 stopped my buggy to 

 listen. Muttoo, too, heard the sound and declared it was a dove ; 

 but a second call undeceived me, though Muttoo still averred it 

 was "praa chattam " (dove^s noise) . As I was dressed too conspi- 

 cuously in white, I gave him the little gun and desired him to 

 shoot the bird in question, promising sixpence if he succeeded. 

 Muttoo slipped off his syce's dress and plunged into the cin- 

 namon bushes, where I soon heard him imitating the call ; on 

 this the bird flew to the tree where Muttoo was concealed, and 

 he, seeing where the bird alighted, fired and killed it. On dis- 

 section it proved to be a female with the ovaries distended with 

 eggs, consequently I imagine the breeding season was near ; the 

 stomach contained remnants of coleoptera only. Most of our 

 nocturnal birds of prey are insect-feeders ; indeed this is not 

 surprising from the great rarity of small mammals ; they are 

 never seen, as in England, hunting over the meadows in search 

 of field-mice, shrews, &c. The irides of A. scutellata are dark 

 greenish yellow. 



26. Ephialtes scops, Linn. 



Included by Dr. Kelaart in his list of Ceylon birds (sed non 

 vidi). 



27. EpfliALTEs suNiA, Hodgs. 



Procured at Nuwera Elia by Dr. Kelaart. 



28. Ephialtes Lempijii, Horsf. Punchy bassa, Cing. 

 Motu, Mai. Koorooi, Port. 



Very common and widely distributed. I have killed both va- 

 rieties in Jaffna, Kandy, Colombo, Ratnapoora, and Hamban- 

 totte. During moonlight nights it hunts about blossoming 

 trees for coleoptera, which it catches by darting at them passing 

 and repassing, or resting on the leaves and flowers. Their cry 

 when at rest is a monotonous and melancholy " wagh wagh ;" 

 when flying it is changed to " wah-ha wah-ha," quickly uttered 



