( 37 ) 

 MAMMALS. 



Besides the mammals living in the grounds and those which 

 have been mentioned above in connection with the groups in the 

 centre of the gallery, further examples are shown in the western 

 alcove. Several of the eighty species of mammals recorded from 

 Ceylon possess insular characteristics ; even such a large creature 

 as the sambur is said to dijffer in some respects from its Indian 

 co-type, but there is nothing like the same degree of endemicity 

 among the mammals as has been remarked for the birds. As 

 distinctive Ceylonese mammals may be mentioned the Golden 

 Paradoxure or Palm Civet (^Paradoxurus aureus) and the Ruddy 

 Mungoose {Herpestes smithi)^ both of which are called by the same 

 Sinhalese name " Hotambuwa." 



There are two principal kinds of monkeys in Ceylon, called res- 

 pectively in the native language " Rilawa " and '* Wandura," referred 

 to by Knox in the anglicized terms " Rillows" and " Wanderows." 

 The former are the Macaques (Macacus pileatus)^ with cheek 

 pouches ; the latter are the Langurs, comprising several species of 

 the genus Semnopithecus, monkeys destitute of cheek pouches. 

 Troops of "Rillows" and " Wanderows" may sometimes be seen on 

 the same tree, but as a rule they keep to themselves. 



There are three distinct species of "Wanderows" in Ceylon. The 

 commonest is the Madras Langur or Crested Monkey (Semnopithe- 

 cus priamus), which frequents the low-lying forests of the dry 

 maritime districts of the North, East, and South. In addition to the 

 crest of hair on the head this monkey is further distinguished by 

 the fringe of long black hairs of the eyebrows, known as the 

 supra-orbital fringe. 



The Pnrple-faced Monkey (S. cephalopterus) is without the crest 

 and fringe ; it inhabits the damp forests of the West at low and 

 moderate elevations up to about 1,000 feet. 



Finally, the Bear Monkey (S. ursinus), described as endemic, 

 is the monkey of the mountains, occurring in the country round 

 Nuwara Eliya. It is closely related to S. cephalopterus,'^ of which 

 it may be a hill variety, and from which it is distinguished by its 

 longer and denser fur. 



The remarkable Prosimian family of the Lemurs, whose head- 

 quarters are in Madagascar, is represented in Ceylon by a single 

 species, Loris gracilis, a small tailless, large-eyed, nocturnal, 

 arboreal creature of retiring habits, sometimes called the Ceylon 

 Sloth. It is omnivorous, feeding upon young leaves, insects, 



* A young live Bear Monkey presented by J, Spearman Armstrong, Esq., from 

 Kotagala, and a Purple-faced Monkey from Horana. are exhibited in the grounds 

 at the back of the Museum. 



