36 



surprised at finding it so near Colombo* It Has an irregular" 

 fluttering flight' as it darts from the branches in pursuit of in- 

 sects on the wing, like that of a bird when frightened in 

 its cage, and which often leads to the. discovery of its 

 whereabouts before it is itself seen.- It affects the thickest 

 parts of tall damp jungle, but it is a mistake to think that it 

 confines itself to the topmost branches of trees as it is mare 

 often seen at no great height from the ground. I have gene- 

 rally noticed it single or in pairs with the exception of once, 

 when. I met with three together. When perched motionless 

 accross the branch of a tree it has very much the attitude of. 

 a cuckoo. 



The food of those I have examined consisted of small beetles - 

 and flying bugs which it captures on the wing like a fly catcher. 

 In this neighbourhood it is in moult from April to J uly and 

 appears to be staionary here during both monsoons. I am 

 almost confident that there is another species of Trogon in 

 Ceylon resembling II. Hodgsoni, Gould, although I have not 

 been fortunate enough to procure it. In May last while 

 shooting in some thick jungle in the Hanwelle district a mag- 



* I believe this is the first notice of the occurrence of the Trogon in * this 

 neighbourhood and its presence so near the sea coast is a convincing proof 

 that the range of many Ceylon birds, generally supposed to be hill species, 

 has yet to be determined! There is no subject connected with the ornitho- 

 logy of Ceylon, except that of internal migration, which demands so much 

 attention as the distribution of species. Ptirus cinereus, apparently a hill 

 bird in India, found in the Neillgherries and supposed by many to be ex- 

 clusively monticolous in Ceylon has been procured by myself in Colpetty 

 and seen several times in. the neighbourhood, of Cotta; Dicrurus Edolifor- 

 mis, Hirundo Hyperythra and many others are further instances of Cosmo- 

 politan birds in Ceylon. It is, therefore, to be hoped that members of the 

 Society will record the results of their observations in this Journal in order 

 that this interesting subject may be worked out. 



