194 
SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
p. 270), where it is seldom seen. The specimen now referred to 
is the third in the Museum. The first came from Kadugannawa, 
the second from Nuwara Eliya. 
A. WILLEY. 
January, 1905. 
3. Rambling Notes by the Way. 
A. —At Sea, off the Maldives (November). 
Bird visitors, from the neighbouring land, are constantly 
coming and going, on the voyage from Europe, but Spolia 
Zeylanica takes no account of anything outside of Ceylon waters. 
Minicoy Island (actually one of the Laccadive Group, though 
geographically nearer the Maldives) marks our arrival in the area 
related to Ceylon. 
Soon after sighting the Minicoy lighthouse, a Paradise Fly¬ 
catcher (Terpsiphom paradisi , Linn.) boarded the steamer and 
was flying about the rigging for some time. It was a male in full 
plumage, and formed a very conspicuous object. It was eventually 
captured by one of the stewards and placed in a small cage, in 
which it found its long tail sadly in the way. I was consulted 
as to the proper food to give it, but succeeded in persuading the 
man that it would be impossible to keep it alive on board ship, 
and arranged for its liberation on shore when we reached Colombo. 
A small Warbler of sorts also took a free passage from Minicoy 
to Colombo. 
A school of Dolphins accompanied us for several miles, 
playing about just under the bows of the boat. Watching these 
from above, one could not avoid astonishment at the ease with 
which they kept their exact distance from the sharp nose of the 
ship. They appeared to progress without any effort and without 
appreciable movement, just as though they were being pushed 
along by the vessel. 
When within sight of Colombo 1 was surprised to see two large 
Whales. One of them passed within thirty yards of the ship and 
was mistaken for a large log of wood floating by, until it threw 
up a jet of spray from its respiratory orifice. 
B. — Anuradhapura to Jaffna (December). 
Condemned to the miseries of the bullock coach, the jolting of 
which made reading impossible, I had recourse to noting the 
signs of life by the roadside. As heavy rain was falling during the 
greater part of the time these were not abundant. 
The common Paddy Heron or Pond Heron (Ardeola grayi) 
was numerous and extraordinarily tame. It would remain on 
