1872.] MR. E.W. H. HOLDSWORTH ON CEYLONESE BIRDS. 449 



the cheeks, which are paler than the rest of the head ; chin albescent, 

 becoming rufous on the throat ; in other respects the colours agree 

 with Blyth's description. The dimensions of a specimen I obtained 

 at Kandy, and which is not at all unnaturally stretched out, but fairly 

 represents an adult bird, measures fully 10 inches instead of 8*5 ; 

 the other comparative dimensions are : — wing 4*75, 4 - 5 ; tail 4*5, 4 ; 

 bill to gape 1*3, 1*25 ; tarsus 1*5, 1*25. 



Bill black ; irides buff; feet dusky. 



Ceylon. 



142. Malacocercus striattjs, Swains. 



A comparison of specimens of M. striatus I obtained in Ceylon 

 with M. malabaricus in the Calcutta Museum left me in great doubt 

 as to the reason for separating them specifically, and I cannot but 

 think they will ultimately be included under the same name. The 

 depth of the striae in M. striatus varies with age ; in a well-grown 

 young bird there is not a trace of striae on the tertiaries, and they are 

 very indistinct on the tail. In a fully adult bird now before me the 

 striation exactly agrees with Jerdon's description of that character in 

 M. malabaricus : "the tertiaries are but very obscurely striated, but 

 the tail is distinctly so." The distinctive character of M. striatus 

 has hitherto been shown by comparing it with M. terricolor ; but it 

 should have been placed by the side of the Malabar species. 



The Ceylon bird is universally distributed over the low country, 

 frequenting alike the jungle, half-cultivated ground, and the gardens 

 and compounds in Colombo. Its manners are the same as those 

 of the common Indian species. I have found it nesting at Aripo in 

 January. 



Young birds are slightly rufous. 



Bill pale yellow; irides pale buff; feet pale yellow. 



Ceylon, S. India? 



The only record I can find of the occurrence of M. griseus, Gmel., 

 in Ceylon is in the ' Appendix' to Kelaart's ' Prodromus Faunae 

 Zeylanicae' (p. 45), where, in a report by Mr. Blyth on a collection 

 of Ceylon Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, and Fishes, and, I presume, 

 made to the Asiatic Society of Bengal, the following appears among 

 the list of birds : — 



"Malacocercus griseus (Lath.), var. — Resembling the species of 

 S. India, except that the head is concolorous with the rest of the upper 

 parts." 



I have neither seen nor heard of the true M. griseus in Ceylon. 



143. Layardia rufescens, Blyth. 



Peculiar to Ceylon, and tolerably common in the wilder parts of 

 the low country in the southern half of the island. It was formerly 

 considered a hill species ; but I believe it only visits the upper hills 

 during the cold season. I have only found it at Nuwara Eliya at 

 the beginning of the year ; but it is at all times to be met with a few 

 miles from Colombo where there is jungly or half-cultivated land. 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1872, No. XXIX. 



