of the IJlund of Ceylon. 171 



made a drawing, is called the animated leaf from the re- 

 femblance of its wings to the lear of a tree. 



There are five fpecics of the golden -eoiou red eoreinelle of 

 Linuanis. 



A grafshoppcr, with black, prickly, tuberculous horns, 

 terminated by two large yellow knobs. 



A ipider, whole venom and bite are as potent and dangerous 

 AS thole of a ferpent : fortunately, this infect is very rare. 



A black ha' ; rv icorpion, about four inches in length. 



Of butterflies there are about twenty fpecics, foine of 

 which are well known. 



The pbal&na, a fpecics of which is to be found in a trea- 

 tife publifhed in France on foreign butterflies. 



The tcrmes, or what is called the white ant, infefts this 

 ifland as well as the peninfula. 



Laftly, There are a great number of ticks found on different 

 animals, fuch as the rat hguana, water birds, pangolin, 8tc. 

 The tick found on the rat is remarkable for the extraordinary- 

 manner in which it moves, having its mouth and belly turned 

 upwards. 



The more of Trincomalee abounds in (hells; but they arc 

 all mentioned in Rumplici's work on Conchology. 



With relpect to pearls, it may be obferved, that the (hell 

 in which thev are found is a mvtiius, and not an oyfter. The 

 defcription of it is very correctly given in the Afiatic Re- 

 fearches. All banks are not equally productive of the 

 pearl ; for, though the (hells in which it is generally found 

 are very plentiful on the Chiiau banks, there is very feldom 

 found a tingle pearl in them ; whilft, further up the gulph, 

 a pearl is found in almott every (hell of a certain flze that is 

 Opened. 



There are the common cry utilizations of fa pphires, rubies, 

 topazes, kouroundous, tourmalines, and rock cry (la Is. 



Rome de rifle has given a defcription of a precious (lone 

 that unites two ditiinct colours ; and fuch a {tone is faid, and 

 generally believed, to have been found by the adigar, or 

 prime miniiter, of the king of Candy, on his return from 

 an embaffy to Col umbo : it unites the colours of the fapphirc, 

 the ruby, and the topaz. The account adds, that it was in- 

 flantly prefented to the king. 



The foil around Col um bo is a brittle clay, with a mixture 

 of ferruginous particles. It is generally covered with a land, 

 whofe fertility i* equal to that of the richelt earth. On the 

 fea more, and in fome dihincr. parts, there are hillocks of a 

 dark gray earth, which appear to compofe a iiratum imme- 

 diately beneath that already mentioned. 



There 



