ANIMAL AND PLANT LIFE. 143 
found that towards the coast Crateva roxburghii occurs, but 
it is by no means plentiful, as in the Hambantota country. 
Of the Bixacex, I found a few examples of Cochlospermum 
gossypium, but clearly these were introductions connected with 
Buddhistic places of worship. It may be safely assumed that 
where an “ escape ”’ of this species is found, one may look for 
temple “ remains,’ and the same may be said of Ironwood, 
Hibiscus ficulneus, or Balsamodendrum caudatum. 
Scolopia gertneri is a wild and plentiful representation of 
this order, and abundant round ‘“‘ Westminster Abbey ” and 
Degalhela. Hydnocarpus venenata occurs in abundance by 
stream sides, and is probably more plentiful than JH. 
alpina, which is confined to the dry low-country, notwith- 
standing its inappropriate specific name. 
Passing over unimportant orders to the Guttiferze the 
following claim notice: Garcinia spicata is very common and 
widely distributed; Calophyllum burmanni is occasional ; 
C. tomentosum occurs at ‘‘ Westminster Abbey” and near 
Degalhela ; C. inophyllum is practically confined to the coast, 
though not entirely so, while a further example of this genus 
(the identity of which has yet to be determined) I have 
referred to already in an earlier Paper, published in the 
Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 
as being a probable foreigner. 
Tronwood—Mesua ferrea—occurs in quite a forest form round 
the base of Himitillanegala, where, I suspect, it was introduced. 
It occurs at all the old temples, but is otherwise scarce. 
Of the Malvaceze, Sidas and Abutilons are exceedingly 
common. Urenas, on the other hand, are to be looked for 
in damp waste places, where they attain to considerable size. 
Thespesia populnea is an introduction, and not particularly 
common. Hibiscus tiliaceus occurs near backwaters, but it is 
not generally plentiful. Bombaxzx malabaricum occurs in the 
form of immense individuals, but it is certainly not plentiful ; 
while Hriodendron anfractuosum, on the other hand, is a plenti- 
fully introduced garden plant. 
Among the Sterculias prominence should be given to 
S. faetida, well known to the Tamils as the Katu-tengai or 
forest coconut, S. colorata, and S. thwaitesii. I obtained a 
5) 
