308 JOURNAL, BOMBA Y NA TUBAL HISTORY S OCIETY, Vol. X. 



109. Cinnyris seylonicus, Linn., the Ceylonese Sun-bird. — Com- 

 mon. Have taken plenty of nests in earlier part of year. I have 

 never seen one built in a caterpillar's web, as C. lotenius is so fond 

 of doing. 



110. Dicceum minimum, Tick., Tickell's Flower-pecker. — Common. 

 Have taken a few of its lovely little pendant pear-shaped nests in April 

 and May. They contained two white eggs, large for the size of the 

 bird, being as large as small eggs oi Munia striata. 



111. Piprisoma agile, Blyth, the Thick -billed Flower-pecker. — 

 Not uncommon I think, but as it frequents tall trees in jungle, it is 

 hard to distinguish it for certain from immature sun-birds. I have 

 killed five specimens here. 



112. Zostewps palpehrosa, "Bilj^h.^ ^e Qomvaon. White-eye. — Very 

 common. Breeds in early part of the year. 



113. Zosterops ceylonensis^ Holdsw., the Ceylonese White-eye. — 

 Common at 4,000 feet and over. Nest and eggs very similar to the 

 common white-eye's. It is fond of building in the grevillea trees which 

 are so extensively planted on Ceylon tea estates as belts to break the 

 force of the wind. Coffee trees, too, are often chosen. This species is 

 easily distinguished at a distance from the previous one, as the latter 

 has a yellowish tint in its plumage, which our " peculiar " bird quite 

 lacks. It is also much tamer then Z. palpebrosa. I have twice caught 

 it in a butterfly net. 



114. Hirundo rustica^ Linn., the Common Swallow. — Common in, 

 N.-E. monsoon. 



115. Hirufiido hyperythra, Layard, the Ceylon Swallow. — Very 

 common, but I have not procured eggs. It builds a good deal under 

 culverts on the roads, and also, I believe, in rocky caves in the hills. 

 A pair built under my bungalow this July. The nest was only two feei 

 from the ground, and was a large martin-like structure which they 

 took a month putting together. My cat, however, took such an ab- 

 sorbing interest in them that they eventually forsook it. 



116. Hirundo javanica, Sparm., the Bungalow Swallow. — Common. 

 Keeps more to the neighbourhood of houses and factories than the last 

 species, and is very tame, building fearlessly in rooms in daily use. 



117. Passer domesticus, Linn., the House Sparrow. — Very com- 

 mon of course and just the same cheeky bird in the native bazaars of 



