216 
XANTH0L2EMA RUBRICAPILLA. 
Iris brown or reddish brown ; bill black, pale beneath at the base ; legs and feet opaque coral-red, claws blackish ; 
orbital skin dull red. 
Forehead and a spot on lower part of throat crimson, a black border at the base of culmen, and another above the 
crimson patch passing behind the eye to the cheeks ; a superciliary stripe, cheeks, chin, throat, and round the 
crimson neck-spot shining gamboge-yellow, bases of throat-feathers black ; from the black coronal band to tail, 
including the wings, dark green, tinged with bluish on the crown ; outer primaries and inner webs of all the quills 
blackish brown, margined internally with yellowish ; wing-coverts and back in many specimens edged bluish 
green; a patch of pale blue over the ear-coverts and side of neck, passing up into the bluish edgings of the crown ; 
beneath, from the chest (which is washed with the yellow of the throat) pale green, with bluish edgings on the sides 
of the breast in some. 
The amount of black on the crown varies, the band being narrowest in newly-plumaged examples, the black bases of 
the head-feathers amalgamating with it in abraded dress. 
Young. Bill blackish ; iris brown ; legs and feet bluish brown. Forehead green, somewhat paler than crown, no 
trace of red band ; throat yellowish, and the yellow cheek-spot present ; crimson throat-spot wanting ; green of 
upper and under surface as in adult. This is the plumage on first merging from the nest. Shortly afterwards 
the red throat-spot and frontal band are acquired. 
Ohs. This little Barbet is allied, but not very closely, to its South-Indian representative, X. malabarica, which also 
has the forehead and the space round the eyes, as well as the chin and throat, crimson ; the occiput is black 
passing into blue; cheeks and sides of neck dull blue. In size it is similar to the Ceylonese bird; wing about 
3 - 2 inches. 
Distribution.— The Little Ceylon Barbet inhabits almost all the low country except the hot scrubby 
districts on the sca-board in the south-east and north-we3t of the island; but it is much more common in the 
southern than the northern half. In the Galle district it is very abundant, extending into the southern ranges 
to an altitude of 2500 feet ; it is almost equally so all through the Western Province, and extends through the 
jq_W. Province (beginning to be less abundant at Chilaw) into the northern forest tiact, in some paits of 
which it is more plentiful than the next species, which is essentially a northern bird. About 1 rincomalie 
and along the north-east coast to Mullaittivu it dwells chiefly in the jungle some miles inland, while Xantho- 
la'in a indica is found near the coast as well as in the interior. Mr. Holdswoith did not obscive it at Aripu, 
which is a region unsuited to its habits ; but it frequents the interior towards the Central Road, and is also 
found in the Jaffna peninsula. 
In the Kandyan Province it is common in Dumbara and about Pusselawa, Hewahette, and other localities, 
but is less so in Uva than the next species. From this region it is found at intervals in the Eastern Province 
out to the east coast ; and in the forest country from the base of the Haputale range to the edge of the scrub 
or “ brush " country near Ilambantota it is fairly common. 
Habits. This Barbet chiefly frequents cultivated country, scattered woods, the edges of paddy-fields, 
native gardens, compounds, and cocoanut-plantations ; but in the wild districts of the north and east it is 
partial to luxuriant forest, in which it usually takes up its quarters near some spreading banyan-tree or other 
source of frugivorous supplies. It is one of the most noticeable birds about native villages, taking up its 
abode among the bread-fruit and jack-trees, and uttering its curious note, which has gained for it, as well as 
for the next species, of which the voice is somewhat similar, the name of “ Copper-smith.” It sits perfectly 
upright on the top of a tree, being very partial to the Bombax malabaricum, and jerks out its monosyllabical 
cry wok, wok, wok, slowly repeated, with a bob of the head at each note, and then breaks forth into wok wok 
wok took, as if it had suddenly become impatient at the result of its parlance with its inattentive mate. It is 
usually solitary, or if accompanied by a mate appears not to dwell in very close fellowship with it, except, of 
course, during the breeding-season, when it may be seen in pairs in the same tree. It lives entirely on fruits 
and seeds like the rest of its congeners, but does not congregate in such flocks as the next species. The 
flight of this Barbet is tolerably swift, but of necessity somewhat laboured ; it is performed with quick beatings 
of the wings, w ith now and then a long dipping motion. 
