159 
ears large, naked, partially hid in the fur ; tail black, round, tapering, 
rather sealy, and thinly covered with short hair intermixed with much 
longer, glossy, shining, thin, stiff hairs, some of which are also seen in 
the upper parts and sides of the lower half of the body ; teeth white 
throughout. 
Length of body and head, 34 inches; tail, 24. 
Found in Newera Ellia and even on Pedrotellgala, the highest 
mountain in Ceylon, which rises from the plains of Newera Ellia, and 
is 8020 feet above the sea’s level. I had one quite docile in a box 
for some days, which fed ravenously on earth-worms ; it used to run 
about the table and on my arms without attempting to get away; it 
died one frosty night. 
This shrew differs from the Sorex murinus chiefly in the absence 
of all unpleasant smell. I could not trace any glands or lectze in any 
part of the body. The elongated fore-claws is another good specific 
distinction. The Sorex murinus is also found here, and I am inclined 
to thik that a very diminutive shrew, of which I have seen only one 
specimen, is another species, but which for the present I have con- 
sidered as only the young of the above-described animal. It re- 
sembles in every point the Sorex pygmaeus of Hodgson (Mag. Nat. 
Hist. vol. xv.). There are several characters in our Corsira which 
make me consider it not identical with the C. nigrescens of Gray, 
especially the greater length of its tail than in the animal found on 
the continent of India, which I know only from Mr. Gray’s de- 
scription. 
Of the Mammals enumerated in the catalogue, the following are 
found in Newera Ellia :—Presbytes priamus, var. ; Vespertilio pi- 
pistrellus, var. ; Felis varius; Felis chaus?; Herpestes vitticollis ; 
Viverra indica; Paradoxurus (two var. or species) ; Canis aureus ; 
Mus Bandicota ; Mus musculus (variety with white feet) ; Mus albi- 
venter ; Golunda Newera; Sorex murinus; Corsira Newera Ellia; 
Lepus nigricollis ; Sciurus macrurus (very black-coloured variety) ; 
S. trilineatus’ Elephas indicus ; Lutra nair (perhaps another spe- 
cies, for I only saw it taking the water). The ZL. nair is found in 
abundance in the low country ; and a Prionodon, the skin resembling 
one I have. 
Of Birds, the following I have here, besides those I have enu- 
merated as new: Cissa puella, Blyth ; Caprimulgus indicus, Latham; 
Paleornis Layardii, Blyth ; Hirundo domicola ; Acanthylis cauda- 
cuta?; Collocalia nidifica?; Gracula ptilogenys; Columba Elphinsto- 
nit, var.; Parus cinereus; Gallus Stanleyii or Lafayettii ; Galloper- 
dix bicalearatus ; Picus ceylonicus; Dendrophila frontalis ; Hypsi- 
petes nilgherriensis ; Hemipus picatus ; Corydala rufa; and a few 
others. 
Newera Ellia, Ceylon, 8th May, 1850. 
