•i08 Mr. E. L. Layard on the Natural History of Ceylon. 



This is the second parcel of skins Dr. Kelaart has sent ; his first 

 was nearly as interesting, and comprised the following novelties and 

 additions to our fauna : — Merula Kandiana, n. s., Blyth ; Pratincola 

 atrata, Blyth, n. s. ; Pycnonotus melanojjs, Blyth, n. s. ; Hirundo 

 domicola ; Pahimbiis JElphuistonii, a marked variety •'Corydalla strio- 

 lata 1 ; Munia acutirostris, Blyth, n. s. I should mention that my 

 arrangement and nomenclature is entirely derived from Blyth' s pub- 

 lished Catalogue of the Birds m the Museum of the Bengal Asiatic 

 Society. ,(, j ^g j[,,., m;u\ vj 



The follovdng is a list of land and freshwater shells in my collec- 

 tion ; it is however small, and limited nearly to the southern and 

 northern coasts. I should much like to collect in the hilly region ; 

 that humid climate, I doubt not, contains a vast variety yet unnoticed. 

 When I have not got the specific name, I give only the generic ; the 

 figures following denote the number of species : — 



Psammobia, 1. Unio marginalis. Megalomastoma, 1. 



Modiola, 1. Vitrina gigas. Pterocyclos rupestris. 



Helix guttata, Mull., 3 varieties. Planorbis incbea. Planorbis, 1. 



H. vitellina, Pfeiffer. Lymnea, 2. 



H. bistrialis, Beck. Melania pyramus. 



H. carabinata. H. Waltoni. M. elegans, BensoM ? Melania, 5. 



H. haemastoma, Linn., 7 var. Pirene subulata, Lam. A'alvata, 1 . 



H. Juliana, Gray, 2 var. Paludomus sulcatus. P. nigricans. 



n. fallaciosa, Ferr., 2 var. P. pixnctulatus. P. Tennentii. 



HelLx, 3 species, n. s. P. Gai'dnerii. P. loricatus. 



Pupa bicolor. Pupa, 3. Paludina melanostoma, Hutton ? 



Bulimus pallens. Gray. P. (Bithinia), 1. 



B. pimctatus, Auct. Ampullaria glauca ? 



B, trifasciatus, C/(e»m. Bulimus,!. Navicella bicanaliculata, Recluz. 

 Achatina ceylanica, Pfeif., 2 var. N. lineata, Lam. Navicella, 1. 

 A. gracilis. Achatina, 1. Neritina Matonii. 



Succinea, 1. Aiuicula, 1. N. coromandeliana, S. 



Scarabus pantherinus, Adams. N. fabia, Sowerby. 



S. plicatus, Fer. N. dubia. Lam. Neritina, 2. 



Conovulus, 1 . Partida, 1 . Lithrina Irevis. 

 Cyclostoma cornu venatoriura, 2 vai-. Cerithium Telescopium. 



C. ceylanicus. Swains. C. palustra. Potamis, 2. 

 C. Involvulus. Cyclostoma, 1. 



oral, Tickell, and what appears to me to be but a large and faded specimen 

 of the same with old and worn pelagi — only it is remarkable that the tail 

 is brown instead of black. Of Sciuroptera, a splendid new species, which 

 however may perhaps be merely a fine adult of what I described the young 

 of, by the name Sc. fuscocapilla, from South India. Of ordinary Squir- 

 rels, S. Tennentii, S. macrourus, S. tristriatus, and S. trilineatus (vel Deles- 

 serti). Some of tlie Rats are puzzlers, and I have asked him to send me 

 specimens in spirits of these and the new Rhinolophi. There is no doubt 

 about M. Bandicota, decumanus, and Gerbillus indicus. Of his M. coffceus 

 you formerly sent me a specimen. Ilis Golunda newera is very like M. hir- 

 sulus, Elliot, but has a much sliorter tail. Ilis M. albiventer I think is new, 

 a s|)ecies with very soft fur, and there are two other species of white-bellied 

 Rats which are new to me. Also a large sjiecies with very long tail, and 

 merely a little jialcr on the imder parts, wliicb I suspect is identical with a 

 Tree Rut here, M. arhoreus. Buchanan ILuniltou MSS., of which I am try- 

 ing to get some fresh specimens for comparison." 



