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



57. Merops quinticolor, Vieill. 



Whilst the two former species frequent low open plains, and 

 are rarely, if ever, seen in elevated districts, the present species^ 

 on the contrary, affects the hilly forest region. Here it pursues 

 its insect prey among the lofty tree-tops, seldom descending to 

 the ground, except in the breeding season, when it frequents 

 steep banks for the purpose of providing a suitable habitation 

 for its young : this is generally effected by scooping a hole in 

 the soil, to the depth of about 18 inches, terminating in a 

 domed chamber, in which the young are hatched on the bare 

 ground. The eggs, two in number, resemble those of the king- 

 fisher in shape and colour : they are hatched in April. 



58. Upupa Senegalensis, Swain. Chaval cooroovi, Mal.j lit. 

 Cock Bird (from their crest). 



The hoopoe is common in the JajQEha peninsula during the 

 season of its stay, and I have every reason to believe that it not 

 unfrequently breeds with us, as I shot young birds not fully 

 fledged, in August. I saw the bird at Hambantotte and Trinco- 

 malee, and procured one solitary specimen in Colombo. 



They feed much upon the ground, and are indefatigable in 

 scratching into the ordure of cattle, in search of small coleo- 

 ptera : at such times the crest is carried flat on the head ; but 

 when seated on a tree- top uttering its monotonous " hoop, hoop, 

 hoop," the crest is rapidly elevated and depressed, the bird swing- 

 ing itself backwards and forwards at every repetition of its note. 



I have been assured by a gentleman long resident in the 

 Northern Province, that U. Epops, Linn., had occurred to him ; 

 sed non vidi, 



59. Nectarinia Zeylonica, Linn. Teyn cooroovi, Mai. ; lit. 



Honey Bird. 



My house in Colombo was, as is usual in the East, surrounded 

 by a verandah, up which crept, in tropical profusion, several spe- 

 cies of Passiflora ; to the flowers of these came the various Nec- 

 tarinicE for their morning and evening meals, rarely appearing in 

 the heat of the day; they hovered about the starry flowers, 

 thrusting in their curved bills, in search of the minute insects on 

 which they fed ; occasionally they would fly into the verandah and 

 seize a small spider from its web, or from the crevices of the 

 walls. Then they would betake themselves to the trellis sup- 

 porting the passion-flowers, or to the branches of a pomegranate 

 close by, where they pruned themselves and uttered a pleasing 

 song. If two happened to come to the same flower, and fi'om 

 their numbers this often occurred, a battle always ensued, which 



