174 GUN, RIFLE, AND HOUND. 



hasten after the trackers let me describe the animal we 

 are seeking. 



Although Ceylon is only separated by a few miles 

 of straits, interspersed with the ridge of rocks and 

 reefs known as Adam's Bridge, from India proper, the 

 fauna of the island shows many notable differences 

 from that of the peninsula. The tiger, universally 

 distributed throughout the latter, is wanting in the 

 former. So is the bison, which is said, on very slight 

 grounds to my idea, to have formerly been known in 

 Ceylon. The fox is also wanting, and the jackal is a 

 rare animal, while the very hares are of different 

 species. 



As marked as anything is the distinction between 

 the elephants of the two countries. The Ceylon 

 elephant, if not identical with that of the Malay 

 Peninsula (E. sumatriensis], presents many points of 

 resemblance with that species. It is smaller than 

 Elephas indicus, more " leggy," and has a shorter tail. 

 The head is less handsome, and altogether it is 

 wanting in the look of high breeding one sees in the 

 Indian animal. Almost the most marked difference is 

 in the ivory. The Ceylon elephants have no tusks, 

 the bulls sometimes developing tushes about a foot 

 long. During a seven years' residence in Ceylon I 

 never heard of but one tusker the celebrated 

 Yatiantota rogue, which was killed by two friends 

 of mine after a struggle lasting many hours. During 

 his career this elephant had certainly killed a score 

 of human beings. His appearance may be familiar to 

 the reader as his fore-part, beautifully mounted by 



