No. 29. — 1884.] bogawantalAwa obnithology. 297 



21. Culicicapa Ceylonensis, the Grey-headed Fly-catcher. 

 Very abundant, and one of the commonest of the hill birds. It is 

 by no means unusual to meet with this little Fly-catcher in the 

 gardens around the bungalows up-country. 



22. Stoparola sordida, the Blue Fly-catcher. Fairly 

 numerous. They may frequently be found perched upon a stump 

 or branch in the coffee, singing a melancholy little warble at 

 any hour of the day. After showers they are particularly active 

 in their search for food, and they render valuable assistance to 

 the cinchona planter by destroying young cinchona caterpillars. 

 I found it nesting in Dimbula, in 1874, in the hollow of a rotten 

 stump. The eggs were two in number, pale dirty-white, spotted, 

 and blotched with red-brown. 



23. Muscicapa hyperythra, Nietner's Robin Fly-catcher. I 

 observed one on the Eltofts estate flying about from branch to 

 branch in a belt of blue gum-trees. They are rather numerous 

 in December and January, and spread over all the hill districts, 

 as far as I am aware, during the cold season, disappearing during 

 the S.W. monsoon. 



24. Pratincola bicola, the Hill Bush-chat. I found this bird 

 in both adult and in mature plumage on the Bopatalawa and 

 Bogawantalawa patanas. Its peculiar habit of seating itself on the 

 highest branch of a rhododendron is very conspicuous, and on a 

 rainy day it represents the entire extent of bird life seen upon 

 the cold bleak plains in the hill country. 



25. Copsychus saularis, the Magpie Robin. I saw a hen- 

 bird on the Campion estate, but during the months of January 

 and February these robins are comparatively common, though not 

 nearly in the same proportion as at lower altitudes. 



26. Turdus Kinnisi, the Ceylon Black-bird. I once met 

 with this bird in a belt of forest on the Devonford estate, but it 

 was not plentiful seemingly around the locality where I was 

 situated. 



27. Turdus spiloptera, the Spotted Thrush. I repeatedly 

 heard this beautiful Thrush singing its deep and full-toned song 

 from some shady dell in the forest. I have seen it picking worms 

 off newly-cut soil, seemingly regardless of my presence, unless 

 I came within a few yards, when it would fly off into the close 

 underwood, and be hidden from view. 



28. Oreocincla imbricata, the Buff-breasted Thrush. I saw 

 a single specimen on a stump in a newly-cleared piece of land close 



