334 Mr. E. L. Layard^s Rambles in Ceylon. 



worked all day, I thought I'd go out in the cool of the evening 

 and have a shot at an elephant, large numbers of which were hanging 

 about and bothering me by pulling up my tracing-pegs. You've 

 no notion, Layard, how they used to worry me in that way ; a trace 

 of a mile perhaps would be quite obliterated, every peg being pulled 

 up and thrown away by the brutes. Well, as I was saying, I strolled 

 out, followed by that very man : he had my heavy 2 oz. rifle, and I my 

 little ' Joe Manton.' It was getting late, and as we crossed a little 

 open glade, in the centre of which was a large white ants' nest 

 crowned with bushes, out marched from the opposite side a huge 

 elephant. I was then but a tyro at the gun, so dodging behind the 

 ant-hill, we awaited his approach. On he came, flapping his huge ears, 

 and evidently not seeing us. Taking the best aim I could in the dark- 

 ness, I gave him the big rifle — the smoke hung in the bush, and ere I 

 could get the little double * Joe,' I felt myself violently dashed to 

 the ground and the native on the top of me. Recovering my feet, I ran 

 round the hill before the huge beast turned, which he quickly did, to 

 look for his foes. I could see the blood streaming from both sides 

 of his head ; but before I could get a fair aim again, he tottered into 

 the jungle, and as it was late I left him, determined to follow him up 

 next day and give him the ^ coup de grace.' Next morning, how- 

 ever, my quondam guide was nowhere to be found. I learnt afterwards 

 he that night presented at the cutcherry the largest tail that had 

 been seen for many a day, and got the government reward of 1 5*. 

 He evidently found elephant-shooting a lucrative business, for he has 

 since followed it unceasingly (in spite of having two guns burst in his 

 hands), and kills a great many." '* He '11 not be long," I remarked, 

 *' before gun No. 3 bursts in his hands, and adds to the ugly scars he 

 bears." " May be," said Q. ; " that 's his look-out." So saying he 

 threw himself on his hammock, and following his example, I soon 

 forgot elephants and cobras in slumber. 



By five o'clock next morning we were afoot, and while Q. arranged 

 his baggage for his six months' sojourn in the wilderness, I strolled 

 out with my rifle and picked up a peacock. These birds are very 

 partial to the stubble-fields, where they may always be found, morn- 

 ing and evening ; during the heat of the day they conceal themselves 

 in the densest trees they can find, as a shelter from the sun. They 

 begin to lay in January, and generally bring out about ten young 

 ones ; the nest is made in long grass or paddy, and the eggs resemble 

 the turkey's. After our breakfast we had a little rifle practice to fix 

 our sights, and while doing this, I detected a fine Sciurus macrourus 

 in a large tamarind-tree ; he was soon brought down, stufl'ed by Man 

 Friday, and duly installed as the first specimen procured. These 

 squirrels are not uncommon in the northern province, and Q. says 

 extend all the way to Anarajahpoora ; I have traced them from 

 Chilaw to Jaffna, along the western coast, so their range must be 

 great. They however never, that I know of, intermingle with 

 Sc. Tennentii (Nobis), which is strictly a hill species. This latter is 

 a fine species, considerably larger than S. macrourus ; it closely 

 resembles S. bicolor of India. Mr. Blyth, who has carefully com- 



