150 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



of criticism and disapproval in our neighbours, and we carry later 

 those studies all throvigh our lives, consciously or uiiconsciously. But 

 I do not think Pope's line need trouble this Society, because, if the 

 proper stvady of mankind is man, unquestionably that is not an 

 exclusive sentence ; and the stvidy of the natural life around us must 

 always appeal very strongly to the intelligence of all. I recently heard 

 a discussion between a lady and a medical man of great repute, who 

 assured the lady on her arrival in Ceylon that this was one of the 

 most interesting Colonies that the British Empire contained, and tlie 

 lady said she felt quite svire that that was so. And all of us who 

 know and admire the Island will agree with her. But the doctor I am 

 speaking about added that there was a greater variety of tropical 

 diseases in this Island than in any other place of its size in the 

 world. And some measure of the lack of enthusiasm which his 

 words called forth from the lady was noticed by him. Now, we all 

 Ivnow that disease is very largely the result of organisms of various 

 kinds ; and we know that numerous insects in this Colony and out 

 of it carry disease in an extraordinary manner, and have the imperti- 

 nence to inoculate us with the disease from time to time. Tljat 

 branch of study is rapidly becoming more and widely appreciated, not 

 only by scientific men, but by the general public. But this Society, 

 I take it, will probably leave pathological qiiestions of that sort more 

 or less alone, and will devote itself to the perhaps less utilitarian but 

 more attractive form of study of Natural History, and especially of 

 the beautiful insects, butterflies, birds, and animals, which abound 

 throvighout the Island. And it is because the Government of this 

 Colony employs a very largo number of people in all sorts of places — 

 Civil Servants living at distant outstations. Irrigation Officers, Public 

 Works Officers, and raombers of all the big departments scattered 

 throughout the Colony — that I very much hope that all the services 

 which I have the honour to represent will very quicldy and promptly 

 support this Society, and do their best to carry out the work of it and 

 to perpetuate its existence. The great danger in a Society of this kind 

 is that it begins with a good deal of interest and enthusiasm, which is 

 apt all too soon to cool off and become apathetic. I trust that tlie 

 members of this Society — every one of them — will do their best, as far 

 as it lies with them, to prevent that being the record of the newly- 

 formed Society. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Pearson for 

 having started the Society in our midst, and I look forward to the 

 time when the study of Natiiral History will spread widely throughout 

 the Colony, and in the years to come people will look back with grati- 

 tude upon the efforts of Dr. Pearson who started the Society for which 

 we are all met this evening to wish success and long life. 



Pioneers of Natural History in Ceylon. 



Mr. E. E. Green then read a Paper on " The Pioneers of Natural 

 History in Ceylon."* 



The Singing Fish of Batticaloa. 



Dr. Joseph Pearson said he had one or two notes to which he wished 

 to call the attention of members. 



He had a letter the other day from Mr. E. L. Mack, the Private 

 Secretary to Mr. Justice Middleton, who reported that while on a recent 

 visit to Batticaloa he noticed that certain fislies when taken out of 

 the water produced precisely the same notes as made by the " singing 

 fish." Mr. Mack followed up his observations and kept soine of the 

 fishes in a bucket of water. No sounds were heard when the fish were 

 kept in water, but musical notes were emitted when the animals 



* Printed in full on p. 70 of the present number of Spolia Zeylanica. — 'ED. 



