374 NOTES ON CEYLONESE ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY, 



nests in all situations and very variously constructed : some 

 were boles scooped in the ground and lined with large gravel 

 only; some constructed amidst lumps of flood deposit ; some 

 scooped in the ground and scantily lined with small twigs and 

 grass stalks ; others made in depressions in rock and built 

 entirely of little sticks and other matter taken from the " flood- 

 wreck." The eggs were mostly four in number, though 

 many nests contained tbose hard-set ; they were for the 

 most part not placed point to point, and varied immensely 

 in size and ground colour. In shape they were of course 

 for the most part pyriform, though some were much 

 rounded towards the point, as ovals, while others were 

 stumpy at the small end. The prevailing ground colour 

 in about 50 specimens taken was an olivaceous stone colour ; 

 many were darker and may be described as olivaceous ; some being 

 of a oreener tint than this even ; others were yellowish stone 

 color, cafe au lait, and brownish yellow. In the darkest eggs 

 the markings of deep sepia* were very large and few in number ; 

 in the o-reeu variety numbers of blackish or deep sepia spottings, 

 with here and there a scrawl or two, covered the whole egg, lyiug 

 over spots of inky grey. In one nest the eggs were clouded round 

 the obtuse end and striated there with hieroglyphic pencillings as 

 well. The largest of 45 eggs was 1*97 by 1*3 and the smallest 

 1-3 by 1-17. 



When its breeding grounds are approached the stilt is very 

 clamorous, flying towards the intruder and passing to and fro 

 over his head, with loud harsh cries, but when the vicinity of 

 its nest is reached, it usually retires and alights at some little 

 distance, allowing its nest to be rifled without furthermianifesta- 

 tions of anxiety. 



976 ter.— Puffinus ? (302 Ms) 



This remarkable addition to our Avifauna was procured by 

 Mr. MacVicar, Treasurer of the Asiatic Society, on the 15th 

 of last month at Bolgodde Lake, a large sheet of water discharging 

 into the sea 15 miles south of Colombo. A pair were floating on 

 the water at a part where it was brackish and when one was shot 

 the other mounted high in the air and made off. The species 

 would appear to resemble that alluded to by Jerdon at page 826 

 of his Birds of India as being similar to Pterodroma macroptera 

 Smith, but does not nearly equal this in size of wing, 12^. In 

 referring also to Layard's Birds of South Africa, I See that he 



* I notice that exception is taken in my description of the eggs of Rhynchcea bengal- 

 ensis, (Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds) to rny mention of the marking, as deep sepia. 

 Now to my mind the "blackest" markings on waders' eggs are nothing but deep sepia 

 in composition. Look at the lighter portions, often present in a deep coloured blotch, 

 or rub it with a wet pocket handkerchief, in both cases pure sepia manifests itself. 

 Furthermore the body colour of a cake of sepia when melted on a plate, is a species of 

 black. 



