A HISTORY OF THE BIRDS OF CEYLON. 405 



CoLUMB^. The two parts contain 730 pages of closelj- 

 printed letter-press and 24 plates, and with the third pnrt, 

 soon to issue, they will make a very thick Royal Quarto Vo- 

 lume, containing 1,000 pages of letter-press, or more, and 

 some 32 plates. 



Everything about the work — paper, printing, plates and 

 letter-press — are first class. It is certainly one of the very best 

 provincial ornithologies ever issued. Indeed, I do not think that, 

 taking it as a whole, I have seen any work of the kind so 

 entirely satisfactory. 



It is decidedly cheap, as ornithological works go. The price 

 of the entire work is only £6, say 72 rupees, and it includes 

 the great majority of the species met with in Southern India. 

 Indeed to all collectors in the Peninsula of India, it would 

 prove almost as useful as if it was an Ornithology of Southern 

 India. I am, therefore, very much surprised to learn from the 

 author that scarcely any Indian ornithologists have taken 

 copies. For my part I do not know any work that I could 

 more conscientiously recommend to any one taking up the- 

 study of ornithology in Southern India, than this excellent 

 work ; and I sincerely hope that it will receive from Indian 

 ornithologists the support that it so emphatically deserves. 



It is quite impossible, at this late period, to offer any detailed 

 criticism of this elaborate work ; and, indeed, so far as I have 

 been able to examine it, though there is much to praise and 

 admire in it, there is extremely little to criticise. Of course 

 in a work of this magnitude a very great number of questions 

 are raised, in regard to which differences of opinion will arise ; 

 and some day, when I have time, and when the work is com- 

 plete, I shall hope to be able to submit my views in regard to 

 some of tiiese ; not as supposing that I am likely to be any 

 more correct than Captain Legge, but because it is alwaj^s 

 useful to have both sides of every question on record ; and there 

 are certain points on which I differ widely fi-om the conclusions 

 at which our author has arrived. 



In the meantime, I must again most strongly recommend 

 all Indian ornithologists to provide themselves with copies of 

 this work. A very limited number of copies have been issued, 

 and the work will not be long in the market. The care with 

 which descriptions, measurements, distribution, habits and 

 nidification have been worked out for each species treated of, 

 is in the highest degree creditable to Captain Legge, and 

 cannot fail to be of the greatest service to all really engaged 

 in working at the ornithology of Ceylon, of Southern India, 

 or the Indian Empire generally. 



Allan Hume. 



