DISTRIBUTION OF BIRDS IN THE SOCIETY S MUSEUM. 41 



87. Thamnobia Fulicata, Linn. — The Black Robin. — 

 Layard, Annals Natural History, 1853, volume 13, page 266. 



Distributed throughout the whole of the low-country. According to 

 Holdsworth is numerous at Aripu on the north-west; it decreases 

 then towards the Western Province, being fouud there about 

 chena clearings in the interior; becomes more plentiful in the 

 same localities of the south-west, and abounds in the dry maritime 

 districts from Hambantota round to the north-east. It is more 

 plentiful in the south-east than in the latter district. 'I have not 

 traced it, in the hills, to a greater elevation than 1,000 feet. 



88. Prinia socialts, Sykes. — The Bluish Wren Warbler.— 

 Layard, Annals Natural History, 1853, volume 12, page 263; 

 omitted from Kelaart's, Proclromus Faunae Zeylanica. 



Northern, Western, Central, and Southern Provinces. Sparingly 

 distributed in all these parts, frequenting grass fields in the 

 Western Province, sugar-cane fields about Galle and Baddegama, 

 and patanas in the Central Province, up to, as far as I have 

 observed, 3,000 feet. I did not find it in the north-east, but it- 

 most probably occurs there, as Layard, loc. cit., found it at Point 

 Pedro. 



89. Cisticola SCHCENICOLA, Bonap. — The Rufous Grass 

 Warbler. Cisticela Cursitans, Blyth — Layard, Annals Natural 

 History, 1853, volume 12, page 262 ; Kelaart, Prodromus Faunas 

 Zeylanica. 



Widely distributed over the whole Island from the sea coast up to 

 Nuwara Eliya and the Morton Plains, in both of which districts 

 it is said by Kelaart and Holdsworth to be very abundant, equally 

 so on all patanas of the Central Province, and in paddy fields and 

 grassy lands in most parts of the low -country. Less numerous 

 than elsewhere in the south coast, there being but little land in 

 that part suited to its habits. 



90. Drymoipus validus, Blyth.— The Ceylon Wren Warb- 

 ler. Drymoica Valida, Blyth. — Layard, Annals Natural History, 

 1853, volume 12, page 262. 



Western, Southern, and Central Provinces, and likewise in the north- 

 eastern districts. This species, according to my observation, is 

 not so abundant as D. Jerdoni, the common species about Colombo; 

 it occurs in the Central Province in hill paddy fields, in the 

 southern parts of the Island, in clearings in the valleys, and in the 

 upper districts of the Hinidum Pattu in "kurukkan" fields. 

 Not observed in the south-east. 



91. Phylloscopus nitidus, Lath im. — The Green Tree 

 Warbler. Ph> llopneuste nitidus, Blyth.— Layard, Annals Natural 



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