216 XANTHOL.FMA RUBKICAPILLA. 



Iris brown or reddish brown ; bill black, pale beneath at the base ; legs and feet opaque coral-red, claws blackish ; 

 orbital skin didl red. 



Forehead and a spot on lower part of throat crimson, a black border at the base of culmen, and another above the 

 crimson patch passing behind the eye to the cheeks ; a superciliary stripe, cheeks, chin, throat, and round the 

 crimson neck-spot shining gamboge-yellow, bases of throat-feathers black ; from the black coronal band to tail, 

 including the wings, dark green, tinged with bluish on the crown ; outer primaries and inner webs of all the quills 

 blackish brown, margined internally with yellowish ; wing-coverts and back in many specimens edged bluish 

 green; a patch of pale blue over the ear-coverts and side of neck, passing up into the bluish edgings of the crown ; 

 beneath, from the chest (which is washed with the yellow of the throat) pale green, with bluish edgings on the sides 

 of the breast in some. 



The amount of black on the crown varies, the band being narrowest in newly-pluraaged examples, the black bases of 

 the head-feathers amalgamating with it in abraded dress. 



Young. Bill blackish ; iris brown ; legs and feet bluish brown. Forehead green, somewhat paler than crown, no 

 trace of red band ; throat yellowish, and the yellow cheek-spot present ; crimson throat-spot wanting : green of 

 upper and under surface as in adult. This is the plumage on first merging from the nest. Shortly afterwards 

 the red throat-spot and frontal baud are acquired. 



Ohs. This little Barbet is allied, but not very closely, to its South-Indian representative, X. malabarica, which also 

 has the forehead and the space round the eyes, as well as the chin and throat, crimson ; the occiput is black 

 passing into blue ; cheeks and sides of neck dull blue. In size it is similar to the Ceylonese bird : wing about 

 3 - l! inches. 



Distribution. — The Little Ceylon Barbet inhabits almost all the low country except the hot scrubby 

 districts on the sea-board in the south-east and north-west of the island; but it is much more common in the 

 southern than the northern half. In the Galle district it is very abundant, extending into the southern ranges 

 to an altitude of 2500 feet ; it is almost equally so all through the Western Province, and extends through the 

 N.W. Province (beginning to be less abundant at Chilaw) into the northern forest tract, in some parts of 

 which it is more plentiful than the next species, which is essentially a northern bird. About Trincomalie 

 and along the north-east coast to Mullaittivu it dwells chiefly in the jungle some miles inland, while Xantho- 

 lama indica is found near the coast as well as in the interior. Mr. Holds worth did not observe it at Aripu, 

 which is a region unsuited to its habits; but it frequents the interior towards the Central Road, and is also 

 found in the Jaffna peninsula. 



In the Kandyan Province it is common in Dumbara and about Pussclawa, Ilcwahette, and other localities, 

 but is less so in I'va than the next species. From this region it is found at intervals in the Eastern Province 

 out to the cast coast ; and in the forest country from the base of the Haputale range to the edge of the scrub 

 or "brush " country near Hambantota it is fairly common. 



Habits. — This Barbet chiefly frequents cultivated country, scattered woods, the edges of paddy-fields, 

 □ative gardens, compounds, and cocoanut-plantations ; but in the wild districts of the north and east it is 

 partial to luxuriant forest, in which it usually takes up its quarters near some spreading banyan-tree or other 

 source of frugivorous supplies. It is one of the most noticeable birds about native villages, taking up its 

 abode among the bread-fruit and jack-trees, and uttering its curious note, which has gained for it, as well as 

 for the next species, of which the voice is somewhat similar, the name of " Copper-smith." It sits perfectly 

 upright on the top of a tree, being very partial to the Bonibax malabaricum, and jerks out its monosyllabical 

 cry wok, wok, wok, slowly repeated, with a bob of the head at each note, and then breaks forth into wok wok 

 wok wok, as if it had suddenly become impatient at the result of its parlance with its inattentive mate. It is 

 usually solitary, or if accompanied by a mate appears not to dwell in very close fellowship with it, except, of 

 course, during the breeding-season, when it may be seen in pairs in the same tree. It lives entirely on fruits 

 and seeds like the rest of its congeners, but does not congregate in such flocks as the next species. The 

 flight of this Barbet is tolerably swift, but of necessity somewhat laboured ; it is performed with quick beatings 

 of the wings, with now and then a long dipping motion. 



