fore-neck, between the chest patches, buff. The young have the 

 upper surface greyish olive brown, some of the feathers with 

 lightish margins ; throat and fore-neck whitish. 

 if Khy^ckgea Bengalensis (Linn.) The Indian Painted Snipe; 



Although we have no record of this bird nesting in Ceylon, it 

 ,vould appear that it occasionally breeds here — -as in two in- 

 stances that have come under my notice, perfect eggs have been 

 taken from it, after death, in December. This is all the mora 

 singular, as in India, according to Jerdon, it breeds in June 

 and July ; it can only be accounted for on the supposition that 

 the birds in question were stationary in the island and had 

 become subject, as regards their breeding, to the influence of 

 the seasons here. An egg in the possession of Mr. C. P. Layard 

 measures 1*4" in length by 1" in diameter, is pointed in form 

 and of a rich yellow stone-ground colour, streaked, scratched 

 and clouded all over with large patches of dark sepia, with a 

 few blots of bluish grey appearing from beneath them. Another 

 egg, laid in a cage by a wounded bird on the last day of the 

 year, and now in the possession of Mr. Holdsworth, has the 

 markings smaller, resembling those of a plover's egg. The habit 

 of diving which this bird has, when wounded, shows its affinity 

 to the sand-pipers. 



It is pretty common in this Province, being found generally 

 in the proportion of one pair to every large tract of paddy field, 

 where there are any thick grassy spots, in which localities they 

 are always found together. 



Actitis Hypoleucos (Linn.) The common Sand-Piper. This 

 is the only Sand-Piper I have met with about Colombo, fre-. 

 quenting the rocks round the Fort (being often seen on the 

 ramparts) , as well as the shores of the lake. They arrive here 

 about the 10th of August^and are then partly in summer and 

 partly in winter plumage. They put on their summer dress,. 



