456 Bibliographical Notice, 



The list of Mammalia belonging to the Singhalese fauna is by- 

 no means numerous. Troops of monkeys inhabit the forests, career- 

 ing in ceaseless chase through the loftiest trees ; but these are all 

 ranged under five species, four of which belong to one group, the 

 Wanderoos ; the other is the little, graceful, grimacing Rilawa {Ma- 

 cacus jnleatus), the universal pet and favourite of both natives and 

 Europeans. The only other quadrumanous animal is the little Loris, 

 which, from its sluggish habits, has acquired the name of the " Ceylon 

 Sloth." The multitude of bats is one of the features of the evening 

 landscape : they abound in every cave and subterranean passage, in 

 the tunnels on the highways, in the galleries of the fortifications, in 

 the roofs of the bungalows, and the ruins of every temple and build- 

 ing. At sunset they issue from their diurnal retreats, and roam 

 through the twilight in search of crepuscular insects ; and as night 

 approaches, and the lights in the room attract the night-flying 

 Lepidoptera, the bats sweep round the dinner-table and carry off 

 their tiny prey within the glitter of the lamps. The colours of some 

 are brilliant as the plumage of a bird. 



Of the Carnivora the one most dreaded by the natives is the beaVy 

 which makes the depths of the forests its habitual retreat. Leopards, 

 or rather panthers (Felix pardus), are the only formidable members 

 of the tiger race in Ceylon, but they are neither very numerous nor 

 very dangerous, as they seldom attack man. The jackals (Canis 

 aureus) in the low countries hunt in packs ; and the small number 

 of hares in the districts they infest is ascribed to their depredations. 

 They are occasionally subject to hydrophobia ; and instances are 

 frequent of cattle being bitten by them, and dying in consequence. 

 Of the Mungoos or Ichneumons five species have been described, 

 some of which feed upon the most poisonous serpents. Numbers 

 of smaller quadrupeds enliven the forests and lowland plains with 

 their graceful movements. Squirrels are in great variety ; and of the 

 "flying squirrel" (Sciurojjterus) there are two species, of which one 

 (iS. Layardii) is peculiar to the island. Rats are abundant, and of 

 several kinds, among which the tree-rat and the coffee-rat may be 

 noticed ; these latter inhabit the forests, and, hke the Lemmings of 

 Norway and Lapland, migrate in vast numbers. The Malabar coolies 

 are so fond of their flesh that they evince a preference for those 

 districts in which the coffee plantations are subject to these incur- 

 sions. They fry the rats in oil, or convert them into curry. The 

 *' pig-rat," or Bandicoot {Mus bandicota), likewise furnishes a dish 

 relished by the planters. 



Of the Edentata the only example in Ceylon is the scaly ant-eater 

 (Manis pentadactt/la), usually known by its JMalay name of Pengoliu, 

 a word indicative of its faculty of rolling itself up into a compact ball ; 

 these live principally upon the termite ants. When at liberty, they 

 burrow in the ground to a depth of seven or eight feet, where they 

 reside in pairs. 



Four species of deer, some varieties of the humped ox which have 

 been introduced from the opposite continent of India, and the buf- 

 falo, represent the Iluminantia. The elephant and the wild boar 

 are the only Pachyderms in the island. Among the rarer mammals 



