DISTRIBUTION OF BIRDS IN THE SOCIETY'S MUSEUM. 57 



Koralt?, and in the neighbourhood of Bolgoda and Amblangoda 

 Likes; likewise in the (-Jalle district as far east as Matara. I did 

 not meet with it in the north-east, but it most likely inhabits that 

 district, which has much in common with the south. 



146. Nycticor ax Gtriseus, Linn. — The Night Heron. 

 V Ra-Kana Koka," Sink. — Layard, Annals Natural History, 1854, 

 volume 14, page 114; omitted from Kelaart's list, Prodromus 

 Faunas Zeylanica. 



On the borders of secluded lakes and tanks throughout all the low- 

 country; frequents sequestered spots, living in !< colonies" on 

 Amblangoda, Bolgoda, and Tangalla lakes, Sittrawella and 

 Uduwella tanks in the Kataragam country, and similar localities 

 in the north-east. 



147. Goisachius Melanopholus, Raffles. —The Malay 

 Bittern. Tigrisema Melanophila, Raffles. — Layard, Annals 

 Natural History, 1854, volume 14, page 114; omitted from 

 Kelaart's list, Prodromus Faunae Zeylanica. 



An occasional visitor occurred in the vicinity of Colombo in Novem- 

 ber, 1852, vide Layard, loc. ciL; at Aripu in the north-west, 

 during the same month of 1866; and, finally, near Colombo, where 

 the Society's specimen was obtained during last November. It 

 bus generally been obtained in marshes, the natural abode of 

 Bitterns, the only exception to that rule having been in the case of 

 Mr. Holds worth's example, which was found lurking among some 

 thick bushes in his compound at Aripu, and had, in all probability, 

 not been more than a few hours in the Island, 



Note. — The occurrence of this Malayan form, in Ceylon, which 

 appears to be migratory to the country with the north-east 

 monsoon, is extremely interesting. It has never yet been pro- 

 cured on the Indian coast, and would seem to be drifted to the 

 south-west from the opposite side of the Bay of Bengal purely by 

 the influence of the wind from that quarter. Its visits certainly 

 are few and far between, and it must accordingly be viewed in the 

 light of an "occasional visitor, and not a regular migrant." It has 

 always, it will be observed from the above remarks, been found 

 here at the beginning only of the north-east monsoon, but this is 

 easily explained by the fact, that birds on first arriving in a new 

 country are always more readily procured than afterwards, when 

 they have wandered into their accustomed haunts. It has moreover 

 been shot, in - each instance, on the west side of the Island — that 

 farthest removed from its natural habitat, Malacca, but this, I 

 think, is entirely owing to the absence of any very diligent 

 researches into the avifauna of the east coast during the north- 

 east monsoon or at any other time of the year. 



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