488 AJdUioiis to the Avifauna of Ceylon. 



more than pvohable tliat this ftilcon often visits the nortlieni an4 

 North-Eastern sliores of the ishind during- the strono- N. E. mon- 

 soon winds. I saw another iTulividual living- along- tlie cliff of the 

 Fort a 'iew weeks afterwards. 1 may mention also that in the 

 latter end ot October, a pair of peregrine falcons frequented the 

 above hig-h cliff at Fort Frederick known by the name of the 

 " Swaney Rock." They were too wary to be procured, 



16 ter.— Poliornis teesa^ Fra-nhl 



An immature male, shot 3 or 3 miles west of Galle, on the 14tli 

 October, 1871. This buzzard, which came into my possession 

 in "the flesh, had frequented the neig^hljourhood of a bung-alow ou 

 tlie sea coast for several days, and the g-en<lenian, who shot it, 

 was of opinion that it entertained sinister desig-ns towards some 

 pet chickens of his, but it. did not put them into execution, as 

 far as could be ascertained, and therefore it must be said of the 

 ill-starred stranger, that he erred more in thought than in deed ! 

 Jiig-h north-west winds had prevailed for some days before this 

 bird made its appearance, such as bring in our annual visitation 

 of Hallina ce?/l-otiica ixud increase the first draft of pintails, (which 

 arrive about the middle of September,) to sportsman-like propoi'- 

 tions. It is highl}^ probable that during the prevalence of these 

 winds, as well as during the burst of the N. E. monsoon on the 

 north coast, many raptors -are driven into the island, from South 

 India, which continue to escape observation until picked up, now 

 and then, by accident as this bird was. 



Leng-th, ISj inches ; wing, loh inches. 



70 Z>is.— Gecinus striolatus,* Blyth. 



A maleshot near Pusselana, in the Central Province, at an 

 •elevation of about ;3,50U feet, in June 1872. This specimen was 

 purchased from a chemist and bird-stuffer in Kandy, who devotes 

 much of his time to collecting objects of Natural History. Un- 

 fortunately, it was purchased by him from the person who shot it, 

 Avithout making inqui.ries as to exact locality and circumstances 

 under which it was procured, so that I am unable to afford any 

 information on that head. As the district in which it was shot 

 is one that is tolerably well worked by collectors, it is remarkable 

 that this species should aiot have turned up l>efore. Wing, 5*2 ; 

 bill, at front, 1'3. 



162 his. — Acroceplialus brunnescens, Jerdon. 



A male shot in the reeds of the Fort ditch, Jaffna, on the 

 ISth of January last. On visiting the locality, I was at once 



* Identified by JVIr. Hume as identical with Indian specimens of the species. 



