Mr. E. L. Layard's Rambles in Ceijlon. 391 



cliing to the sides by means of the two pectoral fins, which it had the 

 power of drawing together so as to form an exhausted cup. Tlie 

 eyes of this species are very prominent and placed on the top of the 

 head; they are very keen-sighted and rapid in their motions, and 

 feed on small Crustacea, upon which they spring with considerable 

 certainty. They have a curious habit of darting along the surface 

 of the water in a series of bounds without sinking, frequently ending 

 their progress by springing 15 or 20 inches up a perpendicular wall, 

 and sticking there, assimilating so closely to the stone, that, if the 

 eye be once taken off, it becomes difficult to rediscover them. 



While my dinner was preparing I strolled down to the tank, on 

 which I detected, for the first time, a fine pair of the white-tailed fish 

 eagles (Ponta'etus Icthya'etus, Horsf.), which were breeding in the 

 trees on the Bund. Taking my rifle from one of the men who ac- 

 companied me, I stole towards one which perched on a dead tree : I 

 crept through the jungle noiselessly till within 60 yards, and raised 

 my rifle to fire, when a bright flame issued from a bush about 30 

 yards nearer the bird ; the sharp crack of my little collecting gun 

 followed, the noble bird fell headlong from its perch, and Muttu, 

 stript to a piece of cloth a few inches square, arose from the cover of 

 the small bush, dashed over the Bund and plunged into the tank : 

 terrified for his safety, for I knew alligators abounded, I followed as 

 quickly as I could, shouting to him to come back, and arrived just 

 in time to see him, grinning with delight, reach the bank with his 

 prize in his hand. Not three yards behind him appeared swimming 

 what a casual observer would have thought a log of wood ; to level 

 and fire at this object was the work of a second, and instantly the 

 alligator rolled over and over, lashing the water into a foam, champ- 

 ing his shattered jaws, the extreme end of which I had fired at, till 

 the water was dyed vrith blood and the brute sank to the bottom. 

 Kimboola (Alligator), said Muttu, coolly, as he proceeded to wipe 

 the blood from the bird which a quarter of an ounce of dust shot 

 had added to the Ceylon fauna. Rejoicing in my man's escape and 

 in my prize, I returned to the Madua and got my dinner. The 

 rain falling in torrents precluded my further shooting, so I cleaned 

 the artillery, punched a few rifle patches, and got things snug for 

 the night. Muttu skinned the eagle, and while watching him 1 

 caught sight of two of the large squirrels among the topmost 

 branches of a clump of high trees. The wonderful agihty of these 

 creatures, as I watched them through my little observing telescope, 

 was surprising : the chase was evidently an amorous one, and the 

 lady was coquetting in the most amusing manner, darting about and 

 often eluding her pursuer so entirely, that I concluded she had pur- 

 posely given him the slip : she would then innocently present herself 

 to his view again, and let him approach near enough to attempt fa- 

 miliarities, when away she would bound, literally flying from tree top 

 to tree top, leaving the disappointed lover to follow as best he might ; 

 matters, however, being finally settled to the satisfaction of all par- 

 ties, the pair trudged off to find, I suppose, a snug resting-place for 

 the future little Sciuri. 



