INTKODU CTION. 
XXX 
the end of May, when the south-west wind again blows with greater violence than before, for in some 
years the “ little monsoon ” is not by any means strong. The rain at this period is also much 
more continuous, and sometimes very heavy downfalls are experienced, as in 1876, when 
1 1 inches fell at Colombo in twenty-four hours. At this time of the year perfectly different 
weather is experienced on the east coast, when the same south-west wind, deprived of its moisture 
by its passage over great tracts of forest, has become intensely dry and almost warm. After the 
burst of the monsoon is over the wind gradually lessens throughout the months of July, August, 
September, and beginning of October, when the weather again becomes sultry. The great 
autumn migration is now setting in : myriads of Sandpipers, Stints, and shore-birds in general are 
now ti'avelling southward from Northern Asia, and some species, as the Pintailed Snipe and the 
Golden Plover, arrive on the north coast, and even reach the south-western district (Galle) as 
early as the middle of September ; at the same time Warblers and Wagtails arrive in the island 
and rapidly spread over the country. 
About the middle of October, and sometimes as early as the first week in that month, the 
fiist signs of the N.E. monsoon may be looked for on the east coast. Heavy thunderstoi'ms 
coming from the land every afternoon betoken the breaking up of the S.W. monsoon ; they 
continue for about a fortnight, and then the wind, with ruin, sets m fi'om the north-east j at 
the same time on the west coast heavy thundei’storms are expei’ienced every evenin°- which in 
the same manner as those which preceded them on the east coast, take place later each con- 
secutive evening until they cease. During this time migrants from India continue to arrive, and 
a local movement of birds towards the west coast takes place. The north-east wind, which is not 
so strong as the south-west, reaches the west coast only in the form of a land-breeze at night, 
which is scarcely felt until about Christmas. In the meantime, at the end of November, a strong- 
northerly breeze sets in down the west coast ; this is locally styled the “ long-shore wind,” and 
is mainly conducive in adding to the ranks of migrants of all classes, but particularly to those of 
the Grallatorial order. Snipe now come in great numbers, and by the middle of December lai’ge 
bags may be made in almost any good district. 
Internal Migrations . — It is natural that the prevalence of two winds blowing at different 
seasons from opposite quarters aci’oss the island should cause a movement of species inhabiting 
the coast districts on each side of it. This is most observable on the coast of the Western 
Province, south of Negombo, as here the wind is damp, and, as we have just seen, accompanied 
by heavy rains, which induce certain species to leave the sea-boai’d and retire inland in order to 
obtain shelter from the force of the monsoon. It would appear to any one studying the avifauna 
of a coast-district, like that of Colombo for examjde, that all these birds had left that side of 
the island ; but this is not the case, as they are mostly to be found after the rains of June in the 
sheltered districts of the interior, not far from the coast. On the other hand, however, various 
species which are not resident on the west coast visit it when the S.W. monsoon has died away 
and the N.E. monsoon has commenced to blow on the east coast, tending to carry them towards 
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