1 68 Some Account of the natural Productions 



nedoun, or nindoiv, which is very ftrong. The two lad are 

 employed in furniture and domeftic ufes. To thefe may be 

 added the nuga gaba % the ebony? &x. 



The elephant muft take the lead among the quadrupeds in 

 every part of the world which it inhabits. In Ceylon there 

 are two fpecies ; the one called alleia, which has no teeth, 

 or at leafl very fmall ones; and the other called acta, which 

 has teeth of a confiderable length. In the interior parts of 

 the ifland they are very numerous; and there are a fufficient 

 number of them in the Englifli poffeflions to do confiderable 

 mifchief to every kind of agriculture. 



The royal tiger is not an inhabitant of this ifland ; but the 

 leopard is very common, and fome of them have been taken 

 that meafured five feet in length. 



There are two kinds of wild cat, one of which is not ge- 

 nerally known, or, at leaft, has been very imperfectly de- 

 fer i bed. 



The wild buffalo is found in the forefts, and is as furious 

 as that of Bengal. 



The wild boar is equally dangerous with the buffalo, and 

 the woods alio abound with them. 



There is the axis, or Ganges deer, and a flag whofe colour 

 is gray, tinged with a fhade of red. It bears a greater refem- 

 blance to the hart of Corfica, than to any other of its clafs. 



Of monkeys, there are three peculiar kinds, with long tails, 

 and pouches under the chin. The hair of one is of a reddifh 

 hue, and that of the other two is very long : the one is white, 

 and the other black; but all of them have long beards, 

 which fpread over their cheeks. They are very fagacious, 

 well- tempered, and tractable, as well as full of trick and 

 amufing playfulnefs. 



The floth is not very common ; it is from feven to eight 

 inches in length, and is born with a thick covering of hair. 



The pangolin is very common in Cevlon, and called kabal- 

 vae'ia. It is accurately defcribed by feveral naturalifts; but 

 the print of it, in Button, is ill defigned. It is there repre- 

 fented as walking on its fore-feet, in common with other 

 quadrupeds; whereas it actually walks on the metatarjus, 

 turning the toes downwards. This animal can never be pre- 

 served alive, from the impracticability of providing a fufficient 

 quantity of ants (which are it's only food) tofuliain it. 



There is alfo the viverra ichneumon, which, by the Eu- 

 ropeans, is called mongoos. It has been generally believed 

 that this animal inflinctively applies to the medicinal aid of 

 a certain plant, which acts as a counter- poifon when it has 

 been bit by a ferpent. The natives, however, are not ac- 

 quainted 



