GOESACHIUS MELANOLOPHUS. 1171 



(above described) was captured at Mutwal and brought to me, whilst a female at the same time was procured 

 iu the vicinity of Colombo and taken to the Colombo Museum. A few months afterwards, in March 1877, 

 an example was killed in jungle in Maskeliya at an elevation of 6000 feet. It will be evident to my readers^ 

 from the above data, that it arrives on the west coast of Ceylon in October and November, and is then captured 

 in populous districts like Colombo before it makes its way inland. It is worthy of note that it has not 

 been met with on the east coast, notwithstanding that it migrates from the east to Ceylon. It may have a 

 tendency to move westward as far as possible, and may, consequently, cross the north of Ceylon and follow 

 the west coast down, or it may first arrive in the south of India and wander south with the long-shore wind. 



It was first procured in South India in January 1878, when a specimen was captured in the hills of Southern 

 Travancore at about 2500 feet above the sea-level, and passed into the hands of Mr. Bourdillon ; and about 

 eighteen months previous to that time Mr. Hume writes that Mr. Inglis procured an example at Dilkoosha, 

 North-eastern Cachar. It was met with in the Nicobars by Mr. Davison at Camorta, where two birds were 

 captured at False harbour ; and at Tellanchong Mr. Hume procured a third ; while he subsequently writes that 

 other specimens have been obtained in these islands. It has been seen in Tenasserim in the mountains north 

 of Malewoon. In the peninsula of Malacca it is supposed to be resident, and is probably so in Sumatra, 

 whence it was first described by Raffles. It has recently been obtained at Brunei and on the Lawas river in 

 Borneo by Mr. Treacher. Northward in the Philippines it has been also procured, as there is a specimen in 

 the British Museum from that locality. It is resident in the island of Formosa, in which Swinhoe procured 

 five specimens — one, a male, in March, two young in July, and two adults in May ; the young birds were 

 captured at the foot of the mountains ; Swinhoe remarking that the species is chiefly confined to the jungly 

 interior, rarely occurring on the plains. Pere David notes it from Cochin China. From Japan Temminck 

 first recorded it, and subsequently specimens have been obtained at various localities, one of which is noted 

 by Mr. Blakiston from Yokoska, Tokio Bay. 



Habits. — From observations made in the Nicobars and Formosa, as also on one occasion in South India 

 and in Ceylon, it is pretty certain that this Bittern is chiefly an inhabitant of jungle, frequenting the borders of 

 streams lined with rushes, small swamps, and scrubby morasses in forest. In Ceylon it has been for the most 

 part captured in comparatively open situations ; but this has been owing to its having been met with directly 

 after its arrival, on the shores, and before making its way into the interior. Mr. Holdsworth obtained his 

 example in some bushes close to his house by the seashore. Most of the specimens procured near Colombo 

 came from the Slave-Island Lake ; and the bird brought to me was captured in the top of a cocoanut-tree 

 from which " toddy " was being drawn, and having endeavoured to allay its thirst in the toddy-chatty, had 

 become stupid and was easily captured ! Such was the account, at least, given by the native ; and certainly the 

 bird presented all appearance of being in a state of intoxication. It stood with closed eyes, allowing its head 

 to droop forward every now and then until its bill touched the ground, and when pushed would wake up with a 

 start and a flap of its wings. In this state it remained for about two hours after it was brought to me, and 

 then recovered itself. It was placed in an aviary in company with a Wood-Owl (before mentioned) and a Skua 

 (Stercorarius antarcticus) , and when accustomed to its new abode passed much of its time perched on a low 

 stake, its usual attitude being with the neck drawn in, the head kept forward, and the bill pointed upward, its 

 eyes all the time possessing a vacant stare. It would patrol round and round the aviary with slow and stealthy 

 steps, and always snapped up whatever fell from the Owl's perch. Large pieces of meat were swallowed greedily, 

 and insects picked up from the ground. When inclined to be pugnacious, he would elevate his crest and puff 

 out the feathers of his face and throat, spasmodically opening and shutting his bill at the same time. After 

 a while the Skua tormented him sadly, seizing him always by the wing and dragging him about the aviary; he 

 seemed to be much afraid of this bird, not offering to defend himself, although he always remained hostile to 

 the Owl. Mr. Davison was informed by natives in Camorta that the note of this Bittern was loud and like a 

 bark, and they asserted that it remained throughout the day seated on a branch or concealed among Pandanus- 

 thickets. 



Nothing is known of the nidiftcation of this species. 



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