54 



spot than the Galle Face. Jerdon says of it (vol. II. page 360) 

 u I have seen It tolerably frequent in the lower hills of the 

 Neilgherries, in Mysore, and here and there throughout the 

 €arnatic. ,> In Ceylon it would appear t© be an occasional 

 visitant to the low-country of the Western Province, and it 

 remains to be proved whether as regards other parts of 

 ths island it is migratory or resident. My own experience is that 

 it appears in the guinea-grass fields about Colombo at 

 various times in the year, whenever the grass is in seed. 



.A small flock frequented the field attached to my quarters 

 last year, from September till January, disappearing at intervals 

 when the grass was cut down, until it had grown up again. In the 

 latter month the males were in all states of transition, to the plu- 

 mage of the female. A specimen, shot at that time and now in the 

 Asiatic Society's Museum, has the fore-neck and breast mingled 

 dark grey and red, with the under surface patched black and 

 grey, with a few of the white flank spots remaining ; others, shot 

 at the same date, were still further advanced into the female 

 plumage, having the under surface grey with a few black 

 patches. It would thus appear to breed about the end of the 

 north-east rains. From Jerdon's account it would appear to 

 frequent the lower hills in the South of India, and therefore it 

 would be interesting to know whether it occurs up-country in 

 Ceylon. The dimensions of a male Wax-Bill, shot in June near 

 Colombo, are total length 4T' ; tail VI" ; closed wing 1*6." It 

 has a very pleasant song, resembling somewhat that of the 

 O-oldfinch of Europe. 



OSTYGOKNIS Ponteciiiana (Gmelin) . The Grey Partridge. 



The Giey Partridge is not uncommon about Colombo, where 

 it frequents sandy spots in the Cinnamon Gardens. It is not 

 found, as far as I am aware, to the south of this, and very prob- 



