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72
THE TAPROBANIAN.
[February, 1886.
in Ceylon. It breeds regularly in that district, as
noticed by me in 1869 and 1870; and again in 1881
I found it numerous at Us-waewa, in company
with Plotus melanogaster, and P. pygmseus. Mr.
Haly must be congratulated on clearing up this ques-
tion, which would probably never have attracted my
notice.
Phodilus assimilis, Hume.
The first specimen I secured of this curious owl,
was the mutilated skin of one shot by Mr. Waite, on
Peacock Estate, Pusalava. This, and a fair specimen
shot near Kandy, and purchased by me from Messrs.
Whyte and Co., I sent to Mr. Plume, and from these
he described the species. The fine specimen I
transferred to the Tweeddale collection was taken
afterwards at Pelmadulla, near Ratnapura, during
1874. After this, attention being drawn to the
species, numerous specimens, as recorded by Legge,
came to notice.
Strix flammea, L.
Colonel Legge gives Putlam as a habitat for this
species, on the authority of Mr. Pole, who was not
an ornithologist. I have collected there during
several years’ residence, and am positive the identifi-
cation is wrong. It is possible Mr. Pole saw Pho-
dilus assimilis there, but the habits of S. flammea
preclude my overlooking it. The tradition of its
introduction at Jaffna is doubtless correct.
f Batrachostomus moniliger, Layard.
The specimen, on which, I believe, Mr. Hume
founded B. punctatus, was procured near Kandy, and
purchased for him from Messrs. Whyte and Co.
by me. A very similar specimen, a young male, was
shot by me near Battul Oya, Chilaw District, and an-
other, sex forgotten, near Ratnapura. A very rufous
specimen, typical B. moniliger, was caught at Bala-
pitiya by some beaters while I was shooting mouse-
deer. The tail was destroyed in catching it, and it
is perhaps the specimen in the Brit. Mus. noticed by
Legge. It passed from me to the Tweeddale col-
lection. Kandy, Chilaw, Ratnapura, Balapitiya, are
the districts from which all my specimens came.
This species flutters curiously when about to
alight, and lights on slender branches of a shrub or
weed in forest clearings, after dusk, whence it sallies
after food, frequently returning to the same perch.
I have seen more than I procured, and was always
struck by the Trogon-like manner of flight. The
character of the egg, as found by Bourdillon, carries
on this resemblance to Harpactes, which is also said
to lay white glossy eggs. I only once saw this bird
alight on the ground itself.
Ceylon before I had an introduction to the bird. I
Night Cries—the Devil-Bird of Ceylon.
To listen to the screams of the devil-bird is not
,a frequent experience, and I had been many years in
was on a cocoanut estate in the Korale Pattu, near
Batticaloa, and had retired to rest one night, when,
my attention was drawn to a low hoarse screech,
repeated regularly about every two minutes, effec-
tually precluding sleep, and proceeding from some
of the adjacent trees. The night was pitch dark,
and I had no cartridges loaded, so I lay, hoping
it would go, but till daybreak the sound continued
without intermission. The same thing occurred the
night after, but having got cartridges this time, I
seized the gun and started after the disturber.
On approaching, it flew off about 50 yards, uttering
yells much as if a dozen fowls had been caught at
once, and were in apprehension of instant death,
and for the first time I knew that a devil-bird was
the enemy. I followed it all over the estate, until
I drove it into the jungle. At times it uttered
screams, but the screech was the favourite note,
and recommenced at once every time it settled.
This game went on every night for a week, and I
stumbled over the place after it in vain, till some
moonlight came to my assistance, when I sighted
and killed it. It proved to be a large brown bird
with the head similar to an eagle’s, but the body
of an owl, without however the extent of claw
usually possessed by birds of prey, so I suspect it
lives on carrion, the feet being more like a vulture’s.
For two or three nights I enjoyed peace, when the
noise began again; however there was moonlight,
so this one was silenced at once. A few days after,
the coolies brought in a young one, not quite able
to fly, which I tied up in an out-house. As soon
as it was dark he began the old croak, and I had to
tie him up out on the estate at a distance ; his cries
brought two more devil-birds, and the screeching
went on worse than ever. It was curious that at
my approach the old birds attempted to drive me
away by an imitation of the noise of a wild beast,
just like the half grunt and half shout of a bear
preparing to charge. Of course they were shot,
but the young one did not long survive, which I
did not regret much, as tying it out in the estate
every night was a nuisance. It had a good appetite,
and ate bits of meat greedily. I suspect I destroy?
ed the whole colony, as I have not been disturbed
since.
S. C. Munro.
[Note upon Experience of the Devil-Bird.]
[There can be no doubt Mr. Munro’s noisy visitors
were Syrnium Indranee. This species seems numerous
at times, in the Korale Pattu of the Eastern Province,
if a large owl, of similar size, which I have several
times seen perched upon the telegraph poles over the
marshy land near Sangaladi, be correctly identified by
me. I did not then shoot one of these birds, but
drove past five or six in less than two miles, on
two occasions, and there is no other’ species of owl
known in Ceylon, of the same size. This record
THE TAPROBANIAN.
[February, 1886.
in Ceylon. It breeds regularly in that district, as
noticed by me in 1869 and 1870; and again in 1881
I found it numerous at Us-waewa, in company
with Plotus melanogaster, and P. pygmseus. Mr.
Haly must be congratulated on clearing up this ques-
tion, which would probably never have attracted my
notice.
Phodilus assimilis, Hume.
The first specimen I secured of this curious owl,
was the mutilated skin of one shot by Mr. Waite, on
Peacock Estate, Pusalava. This, and a fair specimen
shot near Kandy, and purchased by me from Messrs.
Whyte and Co., I sent to Mr. Plume, and from these
he described the species. The fine specimen I
transferred to the Tweeddale collection was taken
afterwards at Pelmadulla, near Ratnapura, during
1874. After this, attention being drawn to the
species, numerous specimens, as recorded by Legge,
came to notice.
Strix flammea, L.
Colonel Legge gives Putlam as a habitat for this
species, on the authority of Mr. Pole, who was not
an ornithologist. I have collected there during
several years’ residence, and am positive the identifi-
cation is wrong. It is possible Mr. Pole saw Pho-
dilus assimilis there, but the habits of S. flammea
preclude my overlooking it. The tradition of its
introduction at Jaffna is doubtless correct.
f Batrachostomus moniliger, Layard.
The specimen, on which, I believe, Mr. Hume
founded B. punctatus, was procured near Kandy, and
purchased for him from Messrs. Whyte and Co.
by me. A very similar specimen, a young male, was
shot by me near Battul Oya, Chilaw District, and an-
other, sex forgotten, near Ratnapura. A very rufous
specimen, typical B. moniliger, was caught at Bala-
pitiya by some beaters while I was shooting mouse-
deer. The tail was destroyed in catching it, and it
is perhaps the specimen in the Brit. Mus. noticed by
Legge. It passed from me to the Tweeddale col-
lection. Kandy, Chilaw, Ratnapura, Balapitiya, are
the districts from which all my specimens came.
This species flutters curiously when about to
alight, and lights on slender branches of a shrub or
weed in forest clearings, after dusk, whence it sallies
after food, frequently returning to the same perch.
I have seen more than I procured, and was always
struck by the Trogon-like manner of flight. The
character of the egg, as found by Bourdillon, carries
on this resemblance to Harpactes, which is also said
to lay white glossy eggs. I only once saw this bird
alight on the ground itself.
Ceylon before I had an introduction to the bird. I
Night Cries—the Devil-Bird of Ceylon.
To listen to the screams of the devil-bird is not
,a frequent experience, and I had been many years in
was on a cocoanut estate in the Korale Pattu, near
Batticaloa, and had retired to rest one night, when,
my attention was drawn to a low hoarse screech,
repeated regularly about every two minutes, effec-
tually precluding sleep, and proceeding from some
of the adjacent trees. The night was pitch dark,
and I had no cartridges loaded, so I lay, hoping
it would go, but till daybreak the sound continued
without intermission. The same thing occurred the
night after, but having got cartridges this time, I
seized the gun and started after the disturber.
On approaching, it flew off about 50 yards, uttering
yells much as if a dozen fowls had been caught at
once, and were in apprehension of instant death,
and for the first time I knew that a devil-bird was
the enemy. I followed it all over the estate, until
I drove it into the jungle. At times it uttered
screams, but the screech was the favourite note,
and recommenced at once every time it settled.
This game went on every night for a week, and I
stumbled over the place after it in vain, till some
moonlight came to my assistance, when I sighted
and killed it. It proved to be a large brown bird
with the head similar to an eagle’s, but the body
of an owl, without however the extent of claw
usually possessed by birds of prey, so I suspect it
lives on carrion, the feet being more like a vulture’s.
For two or three nights I enjoyed peace, when the
noise began again; however there was moonlight,
so this one was silenced at once. A few days after,
the coolies brought in a young one, not quite able
to fly, which I tied up in an out-house. As soon
as it was dark he began the old croak, and I had to
tie him up out on the estate at a distance ; his cries
brought two more devil-birds, and the screeching
went on worse than ever. It was curious that at
my approach the old birds attempted to drive me
away by an imitation of the noise of a wild beast,
just like the half grunt and half shout of a bear
preparing to charge. Of course they were shot,
but the young one did not long survive, which I
did not regret much, as tying it out in the estate
every night was a nuisance. It had a good appetite,
and ate bits of meat greedily. I suspect I destroy?
ed the whole colony, as I have not been disturbed
since.
S. C. Munro.
[Note upon Experience of the Devil-Bird.]
[There can be no doubt Mr. Munro’s noisy visitors
were Syrnium Indranee. This species seems numerous
at times, in the Korale Pattu of the Eastern Province,
if a large owl, of similar size, which I have several
times seen perched upon the telegraph poles over the
marshy land near Sangaladi, be correctly identified by
me. I did not then shoot one of these birds, but
drove past five or six in less than two miles, on
two occasions, and there is no other’ species of owl
known in Ceylon, of the same size. This record