20 



ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, (CEYLON BRANCH.) 



low jungles of the Hambantota and Kirinda country, and toler- 

 ably plentiful in the north-east near Trincomalee; occurs spar- 

 ingly in the Western Province, and almost absent from the North. 

 (Layard, loc. cit.) — I presume h@' speaks of the Jaffna district. 



Note. — This species, unlike the foregoing, perches much on 

 trees ; the male when uttering at sunset the remarkable note, so 

 much heard in the south, is always perched on a branch of a tree. 



17. Cypselus Batassiensis, Gray, — The Palm Swift. 

 Wahselayna, Sink. Cypselus " Baiassiensis," Gray — Layard, 

 Annals Natural History, 1853, page 167. Kelaart, Prodromus 

 Faunae Zeylanica, page 117. 



Equally numerous in all parts of the country, and extending into 

 the hills to the elevations of Nuwara Eliya and Horton Plains. 

 I observed it less numerous in the north-east monsoon about the 

 neighbourhood of Kataragama than elsewhere, which may have 

 been owing to their having been collected in other parts to breed. 

 It ranges throughout the Morowak Korale, and other southern 

 hills. Kelaart omits it from his list of Nuwara Eliya birds, 

 Prodromus Faunas Zeylanica. 



18. Dendrochilidon Coronatus, TickelL— The Crested 

 Swift. Macreptenyx, Swainson ; M. coronatus— Layard, Annals 

 Natural History, 1853, page 167; Kelaart, Prodromus Faunas 

 Zeylanica, page 117. 



Resident all the year round in the south, but not always affecting 

 the same localities; migratory to the Western Province in the 

 north-east monsoon, occurs about Trincomalee at the same 

 season, probably more numerous there in the other monsoon. 

 Abundant generally in the vicinity of Galle ; affects precipitous 

 hill-sides and open clearings where there are dead trees, on which 

 it perches much. 



19. CoraciasIndica,Zzw/2. — The Roller. "Jay" of Europeans, 



Distributed throughout the low country, but very local in its habitat. 

 I have never met with it in any part of the south-western hill- 

 country. Most numerous about Jaffna and the " peninsula," and 

 in the open country near the tanks throughout the north coast 

 from Trincomalee to Anuradhapura. Near Colombo it occurs 

 at Bope, Pora, and many parts of the Rayigam Korale. 



20. Harpactes Fasciatus, Forster* — The Trogon. Har- 

 pactes fasciatus, Linn.— Layard, Annals Natural History, 1853, 

 page 171. 



Throughout the whole Island where there is primeval forest or 

 "Mukalana;" abundant in such spots in the Rayigam Korale, 

 being found near Hanwella, within twelve miles of Colombo; in all 



