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STRAY FEATHERS. 



Vol. IX.] NOVEMBER 1880. [No. 4. 



31 iistog 4 ilu $mte of %gtom 



The third part of Captain Legge's admirable work, published 

 in September 1880, completes the History of the Birds of 

 Ceylon. — 



The work is in Koyal Quarto, contains thirty-four most 

 beautiful plates of the forty-seven species peculiar to the island, 

 an excellent map, in which the several Zoological Provinces 

 have been carefully traced out ; and some 1,300 pages of letter- 

 press (including the introduction) which comprise a careful des- 

 cription and an account of the haunts, habits, and distribution 

 of each of the 371 species, ascertained or believed to occur on 

 the island. 



To ornithologists in Southern India this work will be almost 

 as useful as to those resident in Ceylon ; and we can, and do most 

 earnestly, recommend all such to provide themselves with a 

 copy of it. 



Certainly no more complete and satisfactory record of the 

 Avifauna of any British possession has ever appeared. Each 

 order, family, and genus is carefully defined. Under each 

 species the author first gives an useful list of synonyms and 

 references ; and in preparing this he has shown, we think, great 

 judgment. He might, without the slightest additional trouble, 

 have doubled the length of these lists, and thus have given an 

 appearance of great learning and research to his work ; but, 

 in so doing, he would scarcely have added anything to its 

 value, as he has given, as it is, almost every reference likelv to 

 be useful to Indian ornithologists. Next follow accurate des- 

 criptions and measurements of male, female, and youno-, with 

 useful remarks in regard to variations in and changes of plu- 

 mage, abnormal varieties, nomenclature, nearly-allied species, 

 &c, &c. 



All this in smaller type by way of introduction to the 

 article which treats of the species, and which is divided into 

 three sections under which, (1) the distribution, (2) the habits, 

 and (3) the nidification are fully dealt with. 



Under the first head the distribution of the species in the 

 Island of Ceylon is naturally first considered and explained in 



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