ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM COCOAWATTE ESTATE. 301 



water's edge ; it was about 30 feet high and 3 or 4 inches in diameter 

 at base ; where the nest was, about 20 feet up, it was barely an inch 

 thick. The nest was built in a horizontal fork about 2 feet to the side 

 of the main stem. I sat down on a rock <and sent up the boy. At this 

 stage of the proceedings the drongo put in an appearance, scolding 

 angrily. I could easily have shot her, but it was not necessary. The 

 boy got within 4 feet of the nest, and then got frightened at the bend- 

 ing of the tree. However, after a little persuasion and exhibition of 

 some small change, he went on again, and reaching the nest announced 

 "gittera" (eggs). He then brought down in his hand a beauty and 

 went up again, but this time the sapling bent like a fishing rod, and 

 his awkward position caused him to crack one of the two remaining 

 eggs. However, it made a pretty fair specimen. The ground-colour 

 of the eggs was pink, and the markings were lilac-grey and reddish. 

 The nest, which I have before me, is a broad shallow saucer ; founda- 

 tion oi" small twigs and roots ; lining of finer roots and vegetable fibre 

 of sorts. There are a few pieces of moss, lichen, and cobweb on the out- 

 side. External diameter about 6 inches. The nest was suspended in a 

 fork, and had a long stay of roots and fibres running up the bough for 

 about 10 inches from the inner angle of the fork. 



Another nest found on April 20th contained three young. 



On the 5th of May the bird whose nest I took as described above had 

 built again in the same tree, and the nest contained one fresh Qgg. I 

 left it, and revisiting the spot two days later to my disgust fomid the 

 nest empty. Usual luck. I would have thought the drongo could 

 have kept off lizards and squirrels, the principal egg destroyers, and 

 I do not see what else could have taken the egg^ placed as the nest was. 



70. Terpsiphone paradisi^ Linn., the Paradise Flycatcher. — Fairly 

 common at 1,000 feet, immature birds far outnumbering the white 

 males, which I have only noticed in the N.-E. monsoon. This species 

 ranges far higher into the hills than 2,000 feet, above which Colonel 

 Legge did not notice it. I have seen young red birds frequently in the 

 N.-E. monsoon as high as 5,500 feet in Uda Pusselawa and Dimbnlla, 

 and Mr. E. V. Carey once told me he had seen a long-tailed white 

 bird at 6,000 feet. 



71. Hypothymis ceylonensis^ Sharpe, the Aznre Flycatcher. — ■ 

 Common up to 2,500 feet. Builds a lovely little nest in a fork of a 



