ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM COCOAWATTE ESTATE. 303 



occasionally capturing a tiny eye-fly with such a vigorous peck in the 

 great brute's eye as to cause it to shake its head disapprovingly, and 

 send the fantail off in a hurry to the nearest tree ; whence, however, 

 after fidgeting about for a few seconds, it generally drops down again 

 to resume its search for parasites on the buffalo's back and head. 



74. Alseonax latirostris^ Eaff., the Brown Flycatcher. — Occurs spar- 

 ingly in N.-E. monsoon. Habits very like those of the English spotted 

 flycatcher. I have generally found it solitary, but have once or twice 

 noticed it among the gathering of birds that takes place when a flight 

 of winged termites are issuing from their nest hole. Luckless termites ! 

 What with crows, swifts, drougos, brown shrikes, common and green 

 bulbuls, sun-birds, and munias all on the look out, their first flight into 

 open air is generally short ! Lanius cristatus^ not being a sportsman, 

 stands at the mouth of the hole and nails them as they walk out ; but 

 all the others take them flying, even the little munias (punctulata). 



75. Alseonaa: mattui, Sharpe, the Rusty Flycatcher.— I obtained a 

 male on November 7th this year. I think I have once or twice seen it 

 before, but am doubtful about it ; the birds might have been only 

 A. latirostris. 



76. Stoparola sordida, Wald., the Ceylonese Blue Flycatcher. — 

 Common, most so at about 4,000 feet. Nests in banks, crevices in 

 trees, etc., from March to May. The nest and eggs are very like an 

 English robin's. I have never found more than two eggs. This 

 flycatcher is very partial to mulberries. 



77. Siphia ticJcelU, Sharpe, the Blue Redbreast. — Common. 

 Breeds from April to June. Builds a nest like a robin's in banks or 

 trees at a height of from 2 to 15 feet. Lays generally three, but some- 

 times only two eggs, of an olive colour, ver2/ faintly and finely mottled 

 with rufous. I killed the hen-bird of the first nest I found for identi- 

 fication ; the cock at once found another mate, and a second nest was 

 built in the same bank within eight yards of the first one, but the 

 taking of this seemed to shake the birds' faith in the locality and they 

 went elsewhere. 



78. Muscicapa hyperythra^ Cablnis, Nietner's Robin Flycatcher.— 

 Fairly common in N.-E. monsoon, but keeps to a high elevation. 



79. Copsychus saularis, Linn., the Magpie Robin. — Very common. 

 Breeds from April to July. 



