304 JO URNAL, BOMB A Y NA TUBAL HISTOR Y SOCIETY, Vol. X. 



80. Cittocincla macrura^ GmeL, the Long-tailed Robin. — The 

 shama is fairly common here, inhabiting the jungles and wooded dells 

 on the patnas to 3,000 ft. or more. It is a shy bird, and not very easy 

 to shoot if you walk after it, but if you stand still and imitate (how- 

 ever feebly) a few of its trilling notes, a cock-bird will come fluttering 

 through the cover and settle quite close to you. To my mind this is 

 an unrivalled songster. I found a pair building a nest in a hole in a 

 tree in jungle this July, but just as it was ready for eggs a deluge of 

 rain flooded the hole ; and with me shama's eggs are still desiderata. 

 Nest was about 40 feet from the ground and similar to magpie robin's. 



81. Thamnohia fulicata, Linn., the Black Robin. — Common. 

 Breeds from April to September. 



82. Larvivora hrunnea, Hodgson, the Indian Woodchat. — Killed a 

 male here on November 11th. It is certainly scarce in this part of the 

 Province ; as Colonel Legge says, " In the eastern parts of Uva it is 

 not common, the great expanse of patnas below the plateau and the 

 deep valley of Badulla probably proving a barrier to its progress." 



83. Turdus sijiloijtera, Blyth, the Spotted Thrush. — Fairly common, 

 but is a shy bird and sticks to jungle. I have taken nests in April, Octo- 

 ber, and November, so it breeds twice a year, just before and just after 

 the hot season. A shy bird when breeding, and slips off the nest before 

 you are near it. Lays three eggs. 



84. Hypsipetes ganeesa, Sykes, the Black Bulbul. — ^Very common. 

 At some times of the year the jungles simply ring with its noisy notes. 

 It lays two eggs only, pinkish -white with claret-coloured and grey 

 spots. May was the only month I found nests. They were from 

 15 to 25 feet from the ground and pretty well concealed. 



85. Criniger idericiis, Strickl., the Forest Bulbul. — Fairly common. 

 Breeds in April and May. I found a few nests, but was unfortunate 

 in their containing either young or very hardset eggs. It lays two. 

 I procured three specimens only. 



8Q. Ixos luteolusj Less., the White-eyebrowed Bulbul. — Very 

 common. Breeds in May in the lantana bushes and lays two eggs. I 

 have examined a lot of nests, and never saw more than two eso-s or 

 young. The majority of eggs are exactly like common bulbul's eggs, 

 only more stumpy. I italicize the are^ as Mr. Hume in " Nests and 

 Eggs," 2nd Ed., Vol. I, p. 190, says they are excessively unlike. It 



