1872.] MR. E.W. H. HOLDSWORTH ON CEYLONESE BIRDS. 439 



forest species, frequenting high trees, and is never seen on the backs 

 of cattle. 



Bill black ; irides red-brown ; feet black. 



Ceylon, India. 



112. BUCHANGA CERULESCENS, Linn. 



Layard speaks of having procured one or two specimens of this 

 species at Point Pedro, in the extreme north ; but it is not otherwise 

 known from Ceylon. 



Ceylon, India. 



113. BUCHANGA LEUCOPYGIAL1S, Blytll. 



Peculiar to Ceylon. Allied to B. ccerulescens ; but differing from 

 that species in be'ing smaller and having the dark grey of the breast 

 continued (but gradually becoming paler) towards the vent, with the 

 white confined to the under tail- coverts. In the immature bird the 

 whole of the abdominal region is very dark grey, and the under tad- 

 coverts have three or four broad dark bands on a paler ground. 



This is the common species about Colombo and in the southern 

 district. I have never seen it in the north. 



Bill black; irides brown; feet black. 



Ceylon. 



114. Dissemurus lophorhinus, Vieill. 



Peculiar to Ceylon. D. edoliiformis, Blyth, is apparently the same 

 species. The typical character consists in having the head subcrested, 

 with the simple form of tail found in Buchanga. In Lord Walden's 

 large collection of Dicruri from Ceylon, there are many examples 

 showing an apparent gradation in the form of the tail between this 

 species and D. malabaricus ; but as the true D. lophorhinus is found 

 in localities where the racket-tailed species is unknown, I shall keep 

 them distinct, and in my notice of the next species refer to the appa- 

 rent gradations between them. 



D. lophorhinus is found on some of the lower hills, and in wild 

 districts in the low country in the southern half of the island. It 

 appears to be quite a jungle bird. 



Bill black ; irides brown ; feet black. 



Ceylon. 



115. DlSSEMURTJS MALABARICUS, Scop. 



This is no doubt the species referred to by Layard under Edolius 

 paradiseus, Linn., as it has been obtained in abundance in the dis- 

 trict where Layard procured his specimens. It is quite confined to 

 the jungle, and frequents the forests in the northern and central parts 

 of the island. An immature specimen I shot in very wild country 

 between Kandy and Trincomalie has the outer tail-feathers three 

 inches longer than the next ; no part of the stem is bare ; but the 

 inner web is very much narrowed just on a level with the tip of the 

 adjoining feather. Lord Walden has received many similar speci- 

 mens and others with the long racket-feathers in different stages of 



