Sketches of Natural History of Ceylon | Page 6

Skull and "Horn" 36
Mongoos of Neura-ellia (_Herpestes vitticollis_) 38
Flying Squirrel (_Pteromys oral_) 41
Coffee Rat (_Golunda Elliotti_) 44
Bandicoot Rat (_Mus bandicota_) 45
Pengolin (_Manis pentadactylus_) 47
Skeleton of the Pengolin 48
Moose-deer (_Moschus meminna_) 55
The Dugong (_Halicore dugung_) 69
The Mermaid, from Valentyn 72
Brain of the Elephant 95
Bones of the Fore-leg 108
Elephant descending a Hill 111
Elephant's Well 122
Elephant's Stomach, showing the Water-cells 125
Elephant's Trachea 126
Water-cells in the Stomach of the Camel 128
Section of the Elephant's Skull 145
Fence and Ground-plan of a Corral 172
Mode of tying an Elephant 184
His Struggles for Freedom 185
Impotent Fury 188
Obstinate Resistance 189
Attitude for Defence 203
Singular Contortions of an Elephant 204
Figures of the African and Indian Elephants on Greek and Roman Coins 208
Medal of Numidia 212
Modern "Hendoo" ib.
The Horn-bill (_Buceros pica_) 243
The "Devil-bird" (_Syrnium Indranec_) 247
The "Cotton-thief" (_Tchitrea paradisi_) 250
Layard Mountain Jay (_Cissa puella_) 252
The "Double-spur" (_Gallo-perdix bicalcaratus_) 260
The Flamingo (_Phoenicopterus roseus_) 261
The Kabara-goya Lizard (_Hydrosaurus salvator_) 273
The Green Calotes (_Calotes ophiomachus_) 276
Tongue of the Chameleon 278
Ceratophora to face 280
Skulls of the Crocodile and Alligator 283
Terrapin (_Emys trijuga_) 290
Shield-tailed Serpent (_Uropeltis grandis_) 302
Tree Snake (_Passerita fusca_) to face 307
Sea Snake (_Hydrophis subloevisis_) to face 311
Saw of the Saw-fish (_Pristis antiquorum_) to face 326
Ray (_A?tobates narinari_) 327
Sword-fish (_Histiophorus immaculatus_) 330
Cheironectes 331
Pterois volitans 334
Scarus harid 335
Perch (_Therapon quadrilineatus_) 337
Eel (_Mastacembelus armatus_) 338
Mode of Fishing, after Rain 340
Plan of a Fish Decoy 342
The Anabas of the dry Tanks 354
The Violet Ianthina and its Shell 370
Bullia vittata ib.
Pearl Oysters, in various Stages of Growth to face 380
Pearl Oyster, full grown to face 381
Cerithium palustre ib.
The Portuguese Man-of-war (_Physalus urticulus_) 399
Longicorn Beetle (_Batocera rubus_) 406
Leaf Insects, &c 409
Eggs of the Leaf Insect (_Phyllium siccifolium_) 410
The Carpenter Bee (_Xylocapa tenniscapa_) 419
Wood-carrying Moths 431
The "Knife, grinder" (_Cicada_) 432
Flata (_Elidiptera Emersoniana and Poeciloptera Tennentii_) 433
The "Coffee-bug" (_Lecanium caffe?_) to face 436
Spider (_Mygate fasciata_) to face 465
Cermatia 473
The Calling Crab (_Gelusimus_) 477
Eyes and Teeth of the Leech 480
Land Leeches preparing to attack 481
Medicinal Leech of Ceylon 483

CHAPTER I
.
MAMMALIA.
With the exception of the Mammalia and Birds, the fauna of Ceylon has, up to the present, failed to receive that systematic attention to which its richness and variety most amply entitle it. The Singhalese themselves, habitually indolent, and singularly unobservant of nature and her operations, are at the same time restrained from the study of natural history by the tenet of their religion which forbids the taking of life under any circumstances. From the nature of their avocations, the majority of the European residents, engaged in planting and commerce, are discouraged by want of leisure from cultivating the taste; and it is to be regretted that, with few exceptions, the civil servants of the government, whose position and duties would have afforded them influence and extended opportunities for successful investigation, have never seen the importance of encouraging such studies.
The first effective impulse to the cultivation of natural science in Ceylon, was communicated by Dr. Davy when connected with the medical staff[1] of the army from 1816 to 1820, and his example stimulated some of the assistant-surgeons of Her Majesty's forces to make collections in illustration of the productions of the colony. Of these the late Dr. Kinnis was one of the most energetic and successful. He was seconded by Dr. Templeton of the Royal Artillery, who engaged assiduously in the investigation of various orders, and commenced an interchange of specimens with Mr. Blyth[2], the distinguished naturalist and curator of the Calcutta Museum. The birds and rarer vertebrata of the island were thus compared with their peninsular congeners, and a tolerable knowledge of those belonging to the island, so far as regards the higher classes of animals, has been the result. The example so set was perseveringly followed by Mr. E.L. Layard and the late Dr. Kelaart, and infinite credit is due to Mr. Blyth for the zealous and untiring energy with which he has devoted his attention and leisure to the identification of the specimens forwarded from Ceylon, and to their description in the Calcutta Journal. To him, and to the gentlemen I have named, we are mainly indebted for whatever accurate knowledge we now possess of the zoology of the colony.
[Footnote 1: Dr. DAVY, brother to the illustrious Sir Humphry Davy, published, in 1821, his _Account of the Interior of Ceylon and its Inhabitants_, which contains the earliest notice of the Natural History of the island, and especially of its ophidian reptiles.]
[Footnote 2: _Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal_, vol. xv. p. 280, 314.]
The mammalia, birds, and reptiles received their first scientific description in an able work published in 1852 by Dr. Kelaart of the army medical staff[1], which is by far the most valuable that has yet appeared on the Singhalese fauna. Co-operating with him, Mr. Layard has supplied a fund of information especially in ornithology and conchology. The zoophytes and Crustacea have I believe been partially investigated by Professor Harvey, who visited