142 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



Ml'. Parker finds in accounting for pointed holes, quite apart 

 from the fact that the surface of the rock on which these 

 particular holes are cut, Avhile being tolerably flat, is scarcely 

 smooth enough for pebbles, to have been " played " from 

 hole to hole. Moreover, there is the fact facing us that this 

 same stone had pieces wedged out of it for building purposes, 

 and the wedge marks are still to be seen side by side with the 

 cup marks. 



In one of Mr. Parker's sketches, in his work " Ancient 

 Ceylon," the slope of a rock having these cup marks appears to 

 be of so high an angle as to negative still further the theory 

 that they were constructed for some game. 



I venture to submit these remarks with a view to directing 



further investigation, as it still is by no means clear what these 



cup holes were for. 



[Note by Mr. Parker.— 1 aixi afraid that your explanation of 

 them will not account for them. Have you ever tried to get up 

 the heat required for smelting iron in one of the holes ? I feel sure 

 that it would be impossible. Also the heat that would melt 

 ironstone would also melt tlie other stone in wJaich the Iioles are 

 cut. In the insides of the holes I examined I found no sign of the 

 use of heat in them. Most of them were well polished, or at any 

 rate, well smootJied over. Any explanation ought also to account 

 for the pointed holes. I believe the holes were first cut with 

 chisels, and then completed and perfected by turning something 

 round in them for a long time — but whether this was before their 

 employment for the purpose for which they were made, or in 

 consequence of their employment, I do not know. I fancy it was 

 owing to their long use, however, that they became worn so 

 smooth inside, and of such perfect shape. — W. H. Parker.] 



FREDERICK LEWIS. 

 Colombo, April, 1913. 



8. A Predatory Bed Ant. — Last May I noticed a large 

 butterfly fluttering vigorously on the ground evidently in the 

 grip of something, so I ran out to see what it was. A single 

 red ant {(Ecopliyllia smaragdina) had seized it by one of its 

 antennae, and was holding on grimly, despite the butterfly's 

 frantic struggles, which must have been almost sufficient to 

 drag the ant's body and legs asunder. I popped them both 

 into a cyanide bottle, in which they soon died, the ant still 



