58 



ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, (CEYLON BRANCH.) 



148. Anastomus Oscitans, Bodd. — The Shell Ibis " Shell- 

 eater" of the Indian sportsmen. (xombelli-koka, Sink. — Layard, 

 Annals Natural History, 1854, volume 14, page 1 15. 



Throughout the low-country, but rare along the western coast. 

 There is a " colony" on the lake near Amblangoda, and the 

 specimen in the Society's Museum (a young bird) was procured in 

 the Kelani-gamga. Very abundant in the south-east, frequenting 

 Sittrawella, Tissa Maha Rahma, Uduwella, and other tanks in the 

 Kataragam district, and extending from thence through the East- 

 ern Province. It is rare in the north east, occurring on Toppu 

 tank. Probably numerous on the Paderia and other inland sheets 

 of water in the Northern Province. 



149. Dendrocygna J avanic a, Horsf.— The Whistling Teal. 

 "Teal" of Europeans. Saaru, Sink. — Dendrocygna arcuata, Cuv. 

 — Kelaart, Prodromus Faunae Zeylanica, page 136; Layard, 

 Annals Natural Histury, 1854, volume 14, page 269. 



Throughout the whole of the low-country, not extending into the hills. 

 In the Western Province particularly abundant at times, about 

 Bolgoda and on the borders of the Bentota river ; about Matara 

 and in the neighbourhood of Baddegama in the south; likewise 

 on all the eastern and northern tanks. 



150. Podiceps Philippensis, Bonn. — The Indian Grebe 

 " Dab-chick"; Layard, Annals Natural History, 1854, volume 

 14, page 270; Podiceps nimor, Lathan.— Kelaart, Prodromus 

 Faunae Zeylanica, page 137. 



Common in the Northern, Eastern, and Western Provinces, somewhat 

 scarce in the south. Found on Colombo lake, and numerous on 

 many of the tanks in the north. 



151. Sterna nigra, Linn. — The white-winged Black Tern. 

 S. Leucoptera, Temm.— Holds worth, Catalogue Ceylon Birds, 

 P, L. S., 1872, No. 310. 



North-west coast. Procured by Holds worth near Aripu in May 

 1860; and a very rare visitor to our shores, had. "India, China, 

 North Africa, and South Europe." 



152. Hydrochelidon Leucoparcia, Natt. — The small 

 Marsh Tern. Hy. Indica, Stephens, — Layard, Annals Natural 

 History, 1«54, volume 14, page 270. 



On inland marshes, paddy fields, and tanks in the vicinity of the sea 

 round the whole coast. Abundant also on the salt lakes of the 

 north-ea?t, and extending inland in that part to the tanks of the 

 Vanni district; frequents the salt-pans near Hambantota; more 

 numerous in paddy fields in the south-west than in other locali- 

 ties; common on Bolgoda lake. 



