INTRODUCTION. 
xi 
the ‘ Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London,’ 1872, and by far the most complete treatise 
which had ever been compiled on the avifauna of the island. The author devoted particular 
attention to the synonymy of the birds, which, up to that time, was in a very confused state ; and 
the result was the working-out of the correct title of each species, which constituted a most 
valuable addition to the literature of the Ceylonese omis. The catalogue numbers 326 species. 
In this list 24 species were added by the author, which are published under the following- 
titles . Hyp o tri orchis severus, Picus ceruginosus, Pandion halia'etus, Buteo desertorum, Huhua 
pectoralis, Brachypternus puncticollis, Prionochilus vincens, Erythrosterna hyperythra , Arrenga 
High, Geocichlci layardi, Zosterops ceylonensis, Estrelda amandava, Chrysocolaptes festivus. 
Pi ancolinus pictus, Chettusia gregaria, TereJda cinerea, Tringa salina , Sterna leucoptera, Sterna 
gracilis, Phaethon rubricauda , Sula fiber, Taccocua leschenaulti, Brymoipus jerdoni, Gallmago 
nemoncola. Of the above, Zosterops ceylonensis was not an additional species, but a new 
name for Zosterops annulosus included in Layard’s list. The Butalis muttui of Layard’s list 
appeared also under another title ( Alseonax terricolor), though this identification afterwards 
piove to be erroneous. Arrenga blighi was a new species described by Mr. Holdsworth from 
specimens procured by Mr. Bligh and himself. 
A fe "’ wel ' e ™ itt ® d - wllich “>« ««■>« considered had been species wrongly identified, or 
recorded by Kelaart on rloubtfnl evidence ; these wer e-Ephialtec scops, Malacocercus 
griseus, Cisticola homalura, Phyllopneuste montanus, Phyllornis aurifrons, Hetcerornis malabaricus, 
H. cnstatella, Pints macei, Alauda malabarica, Cuculus bartletti, Turtur humilis, and Brant a 
rufina. Among this number Cuculus bartletti appears to be the Small Cuckoo ( Cuculus polio- 
cephalus, p. 231) ; and Turtur humilis seems to have been accidentally omitted, as no mention 
whatever is made of the species. The Zosterops annulosus of Layard’s notes, as we have seen, was 
discriminated as a new species. Figures are given of Arrenga blighi, Zosterops ceylonensis and 
Z, palpebrosus, Bracliypteryx palliseri, and Erythrosterna hyperythra. 
Bedew of present Work. — The total number of species included in the present work is 371, 
of which two are introduced birds, viz. Padda oryzivora and Estrelda amandava. Of the 
remainder, 18 species, besides the two just mentioned, are treated of in footnote articles, or 
noticed m the Appendix ; of these, Falco chicquera, Accipiter nisus, Scops malabaricus (App.), 
Pal worms columboides (App.), Lanius lucionensis, Siphia nigrorufa, Munia rubronigra, Fuligula 
rufina, Phalacrocorax fuscicollis, and Fregata aquila are considered as doubtfully occurring. 
The following, Cotyle obsoleta, Oceanites oceanicus, Phaethon indicus, Coturnix communis, are 
looked upon as doubtfully identified; two species, Schoenicola platyura and Brachypternus 
intermedins (red race of B. puncticollis ), are doubtfully determined; Alauda parked is 
perhaps not a good species ; whilst one bird ( Stercorarius antarcticus) may have, perhaps, been 
conveyed to the island in the form of the single example of the species noticed. In addition to 
the above, Fuligula ferina, Turnix sykesi, and a species of Anser are referred to in “Notes ” as 
likely to occur. The following 24 species have been added by the author to Mr. Holdsworth’s 
