8 
Lieut. W. V. Legge on the Distribution of 
stridula) enters largely. On some of the lowlands near the 
sea, and on the hanks of the rivers, as also in the valleys of 
the lower hills, paddy-fields exist; but there is but little 
land under cultivation compared with other parts of the west 
coast, the consequence of which, together with the want of 
“ tanks ” and inland waters, is that grallatorial and natatorial 
forms are by no means abundant. The climate of these hills 
is much cooler than that of corresponding heights in the cen¬ 
tral province, owing to their propinquity to the sea, and to their 
being therefore exposed to the full sweep of both monsoons 
across the south of the island. This is especially demonstrated 
in the distribution of birds in the main range, where, with some 
few exceptions, all the species inhabiting the higher parts of 
the central zone are to be found in numbers, while, again, 
many that inhabit what may be termed the intermediate hills of 
the central province at an average elevation of 2000 feet, affect, 
in these parts, the low forest-clad hills down to within 200 
feet of the sea-level. This latter fact is due, perhaps, more 
to the presence of jungle-clad hills of considerable altitude in 
the immediate vicinity of the sea-coast than to the effect of 
climate. 
As the locality under consideration has never before been 
explored by ornithologists (at least so far as the wild interior 
is concerned), I propose to notice all the birds found in it, 
except a few, which are so universally distributed over the 
island that their presence here needs no comment, and to 
touch more particularly upon those which have not been noted 
previously from this district, and which affect it chiefly owing 
to the influence of climate and the above-named features of 
the soil. 
Commencing, in due order, with Raptorial birds, which, so 
far as some species are concerned, are very well represented, 
I would note that Neopus malaiensis inhabits the forest-hills 
and valleys from within a few miles of the sea up to the 
highest parts of the main range. This peculiar form, the 
largest of our Raptores, is not common in Ceylon; and this 
district may be considered its head quarters. Layard pro¬ 
cured it in the vicinity of Adams Peak. It is exclusively a 
