132 



ZOOLOGY. 



[Part II. 



was first captured by Dr. Kelaart in the woods near 

 Neuera-ellia, and from its peculiar appearance it has 

 been named P. ursinus by Mr. Blyth.^ 



3. The P. TJiersites, which is chiefly distinguished ft-om 

 the others by wanting the head tuft, is so rare that it was 

 for some time doubtful whether the single specimen pro- 

 cured by Dr. Templeton fi"om Neuera-kalawa, west of 

 Trincomahe, and on which Mr. Blyth conferred this new 

 name, was in reahty native ; but the occurrence of a 

 second, since identified by Dr. Kelaart, has estabhshed its 

 existence as a separate species. 



Like the common wanderoo, this one was partial to 

 fresh vegetables, plantains, and fruit ; but he ate freely 

 boiled rice, beans, and gram. He was fond of being 

 noticed and petted, stretching out his hmbs in succes- 

 sion to be scratched, drawing himself up so that his 

 ribs might be reached by the finger, and closing his eyes 

 during the operation, evincing his satisfaction by grimaces 

 irresistibly ludicrous. 



4. The P. Priamus inhabits the northern and eastern 

 provinces, and the w^ooded hills which occur in these 

 portions of the island. In appearance it differs both in 

 size and in colour from the common wanderoo, being 

 larger and more inchmng to grey ; and in habits it is 

 much less reserved. At Jaffna, and in other parts of 

 the island where the population is comparatively nu- 

 merous, these monkeys become so famiharised with the 

 presence of man as to exhibit the utmost daring and 

 indifference. A flock of them will take possession of 

 a Palmyra palm ; and so effectually can they crouch 

 and conceal themselves among the leaves that, on the 

 slightest alarm, the whole party becomes invisible in 

 an instant. The presence of a dog, however, excites 



^ Mr. Blytli quotes as autliority 

 for this trivial name a passage from 

 Major Forbes' Eleven Years in Cey- 

 lon ; and I can vouch for the graphic 

 accuracy of the remark. — " A species 



of very large monkey, that passed 

 some distance before me, when rest- 

 ing on all fom-s, looked so like a 

 Ceylon bear, that I nearly took him 

 for one." 



