Ceylon; an Account of the Island | Page 2

Monkeys Wanderoo Error regarding the
Silenus Veter (note) Presbytes Cephalopterus P. Ursinus in the Hills P.
Thersites in the Wanny P. Priamus, Jaffna and Trincomalie No dead
monkey ever found Loris Bats Flying fox Horse-shoe bat
Carnivora.--Bears Their ferocity
Singhalese belief in the efficacy of charms (note) Leopards Curious
belief Anecdotes of leopards Palm-cat Civet Dogs Jackal The horn of

the jackal Mungoos Its fights with serpents Theory of its antidote
Squirrels Flying squirrel Tree rat Story of a rat and a snake Coffee rat
Bandicoot Porcupine Pengolin Ruminantia.--The Gaur Oxen Humped
cattle Encounter of a cow and a leopard Buffaloes Sporting buffaloes
Peculiar structure of the hoof Deer Meminna Elephants Whales General
view of the mammalia of Ceylon List of Ceylon mammalia Curious
parasite of the bat (note)
CHAP. II.
BIRDS.
Their numbers Songsters Hornbills, the "bird with two heads" Pea fowl
Sea birds, their number I. Accipitres.--Eagles Falcons and hawks
Owls--the devil bird II. Passeres.--Swallows Kingfishers--sunbirds
Bul-bul--tailor bird--and weaver Crows, anecdotes of III.
Scansores.--Parroquets IV. _Columbiæ_.--Pigeons V.
_Gallinæ_.--Jungle-fowl VI. _Grallæ_.--Ibis, stork, &c. VII.
Anseres.--Flamingoes Pelicans Game.--Partridges, &c.176 List of
Ceylon birds List of birds peculiar to Ceylon
CHAP. III.
REPTILES.
Lizards.--Iguana Kabragoya, barbarous custom in preparing the
cobra-tel poison (note) The green calotes Chameleon Ceratophora
Geckoes,--their power of reproducing limbs 185, Crocodiles Their
power of burying themselves in the mud Tortoises--Curious parasite
Land tortoises Edible turtle Huge Indian tortoises (note) Hawk's-bill
turtle, barbarous mode of stripping it of the tortoise-shell
Serpents.--Venomous species rare Cobra de capello Instance of land
snakes found at sea Tame snakes (note) Singular tradition regarding the
cobra de capello Uropeltidæ.--New species discovered in Ceylon
Buddhist veneration for the cobra de capello Anecdotes of snakes The
Python Water snakes Snake stones Analysis of one Cæcilia Large frogs
Tree frogs List of Ceylon reptiles
CHAP. IV.
FISHES.
Ichthyology of Ceylon, little known Fish for table, seir fish Sardines,
poisonous? Sharks Saw-fish Fish of brilliant colours Curious fish
described by Ælian (note) Fresh-water fish, little known,--not much
eaten Fresh-water fish in Colombo Lake Immense profusion of fish in

the rivers and lakes Their re-appearance after rain Mode of fishing in
the ponds Showers of fish Conjecture that the ova are preserved, not
tenable Fish moving on dry land Instances in Guiana (note) Perca
Scandens, ascends trees Doubts as to the story of Daldorf Fishes
burying themselves during the dry season The protopterus of the
Gambia Instances in the fish of the Nile Instances in the fish of South
America Living fish dug out of the ground in the dry tanks in Ceylon
Other animals that so bury themselves, Melaniæ, Ampullariæ, &c. The
animals that so bury themselves in India (note) Analogous case of (note)
Theory of æstivation and hybernation Fish in hot-water in Ceylon List
of Ceylon fishes Instances of fishes failing from the clouds Overland
migration of fishes known to the Greeks and Romans Note on Ceylon
fishes by Professor Huxley Comparative note by Dr. Gray, Brit.
Mus.231
CHAP. V.
MOLLUSCA, RADIATA, AND ACALEPHÆ.
I. Conchology--General character of Ceylon shells Confusion regarding
them in scientific works and collections List of Ceylon shells II.
Radiata.--Star fish Sea slugs Parasitic worms Planaria III. _Acalephæ_,
abundant Corals little known
CHAP. VI.
INSECTS.
Profusion of insects in Ceylon Imperfect knowledge of I.
Coleoptera.--Beetles Scavenger beetles Coco-nut beetles Tortoise
beetles II. Orthoptera.--Mantis and leaf-insects Stick-insects III.
_Neuroptera_--Dragon flies Ant-lion White ants Anecdotes of their
instinct and ravages (text and note) V. Hymenoptera.--Mason Wasps
Wasps Bees Carpenter Bee Ants Burrowing ants VI.
Lepidoptera.--Butterflies Sylph Lycænidæ Moths Silk worms (text and
note) Wood-carrying Moths Pterophorus VII. Homoptera Cicada VIII.
Hemiptera Bugs IX. Aphaniptera X. Diptera.--Mosquitoes General
character of Ceylon insects List of insects in Ceylon
CHAP. VII.
ARACHNIDE, MYRIOPODA, CRUSTACEA, ETC.
Spiders Strange nests of the wood spiders Olios Taprobanius Mygale
fasciata Ticks Mites.--Trombidium tinctorum Myriapods.--Centipedes
Cermatia Scolopendra crassa S. pollipes _Millipeds_--Iulus Crustacea

Calling crabs Land crabs Painted crabs Paddling crabs _Annelidæ_,
Leeches.--The land leech Medical leech Cattle leech List of Articulata,
&c.307

PART III.
THE SINGHALESE CHRONICLES.

CHAPTER I
.
SOURCES OF SINGHALESE HISTORY--THE MAHAWANSO.
Ceylon formerly thought to have no authentic history Researches of
Turnour Biographical sketch of Turnour (note) The Mahawanso
Recovery of the "tika" on the Mahawanso Outline of the Mahawanso
Turnour's epitome of Singhalese history Historical proofs of the
Mahawanso Identity of Sandracottus and Chandragupta Ancient map of
Ceylon (note) List of Ceylon sovereigns
CHAP. II.
THE ABORIGINES.
Singhalese histories all illustrative of Buddhism A Buddha Gotama
Buddha, his history Amazing prevalence of his religion (note) His three
visits to Ceylon Inhabitants of the island at that time supposed to be of
Malayan type Legend of their Chinese origin Probably identical with
the aborigines of the Dekkan Common basis of their language
Characteristics of vernacular Singhalese State of the aborigines before
Wijayo's invasion Story of Wijayo The natives of