ANIMAL AND PLANT LIFE. 145 
of fruit, an insipid fibrous product being the usual type of 
Vedda-country orange. 
In dry rocky ground Ochna wightiana is to be found in some 
abundance, as exemplifying the small order of the Ochnacez. 
Of the Burseracee, I have already pointed out that Balsamo- 
dendrum cordatum may be taken as indicating some place of 
veneration. I found in many cases where there were ruins, 
or abandoned monastic caves, this plant would be sure to occur. 
On the summit of “‘ Westminster Abbey ” it is comparatively 
abundant, as also at Nuwaragala—another ancient fort. 
Doubtless the fragrant smell of the wood led to its use as an 
incense, and, thus, to its cultivation. Canarium zeylanicum 
occurs very sparingly west of Bowela, and Filiciwm deciziens 
may be found in the forest valleys, though it does not attain 
any striking proportions. 
The Maliaceze is very well represented. The Margosa, 
however, as typical of this order, is an introduction, and where 
it is found under semi-wild conditions the inference is that that 
particular spot was once inhabited. This beautiful tree, how- 
ever, is afflicted with a disease that kills back the young twigs, 
and I remarked that this sickness is very widespread. Melia 
dubia, often called Wal-kohomba, occurs in the western part 
of the Vedda country, but in no great abundance. Walsura 
piscidia and Dysoxylum binectariferum are both common, while 
the famous Satinwood is, of course, very fairly abundant, 
except in what might be called wet forest. The abundance of 
_ Satinwood has, as I have hinted, doubtless from very early 
times been influenced by human operations, as the value and 
quality of this excellent wood is widely known. That being 
so, its spread has been materially governed, with the result 
that in a great deal of the country where it once must have 
been plentiful there are now only isolated examples. 
Munroma pumila occurs in tolerable abundance round 
Bowela, Waragama, and Danakiria. It is medicinal. 
Of Celastracious plants, Hlzodendron glaucum is very common 
near the coast, and attains a large size. A Kurrimia, probably 
a variety of K. zeylanica, is found occasionally in the northern 
half of the country I explored, but dces not appear to attract 
native attention. 
