(THE LITTLE CEYLON BAREST) 
ADULT MALE AND FEMALE 
Length 6 to 6.2 Inches; wing 3 to 3.15; tall 1.4; tarsus .75; outer ante¬ 
rior toe and claw .76; posterior toe .65; bill to gape .85 to .9. 
DISTRIBUTION 
The little Ceylon Barbet Inhabits almost all the low country except the 
hot scrubby districts on the sea-board in the South-east and North-west or 
the island, but It Is much more common In the Southern than In the Northern 
parts. In the Galle district it is very abundant, extending into the South 
ern ranges to an altitude of 2500 feet; it is almost equally so all through 
the Western Province, and extends through the North-west Province (beginning 
to be less abundant at Chilaw), into the Northern forests. About Trincoma- 
i ' % _ 
lie and along the North-east coast to Mulliativu it dwells chiefly in the 
jungle some miles Inland. Mr Holdsworth did not observe 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 Puselawa, Hewa- 
hette, and other localities, but is less so in Uva. 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 Hambantotte it is fairly common. 
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HABITS 
This Barbet chiefly frequents cultivated country, scattered woods, the 
edges of paddy fields, native gardens, compounds and eocoanut plantations, 
but in the wild districts of the Norgh and North-east it is partial to luxu¬ 
riant forests, in which it usually takes up its quarters near some spreading 
banyan tree or other source of frugiverous supplies. 
It is one of the most noticeable birds about native villages, taking up 
its abode among the breadfruit and jack trees, and uttering its curious nottj 
which has gained fdc it the name of "Copper-Smith". It sits perfectly up¬ 
right. on the top of a tree, being very partial to the Bombax Malabarieum, am 
jerks out its monosyllablcal cry Wok, wok, wok, slowly repeated, with a bob 
of its head at each note, and then breaks out into Wokwokwok, as if it uad 
become suddenly impatient at the result of its parlance to its inattentive 
mate. It is'usually solitary, or if accompanied by a mate appears not to 
