INTRODUCTION. XXXI 



Sir RODERICK I. MURCHISON (without committing 

 himself as to the controversial portions of the chapter 

 on the Geology and Mineralogy of Ceylon) has done me 

 the favour to offer some valuable suggestions, and to 

 express his opinion as to the general accuracy of the 

 whole. 



Although a feature so characteristic as that of its 

 Vegetation cottld not possibly be omitted in a work pro- 

 fessing to give an account of Ceylon, I had neither 

 the space nor the qualifications necessary to produce a 

 systematic sketch of the Botany of the island. I could 

 only attempt to describe it as it exhibits itself to an un- 

 scientific spectator ; and the notices that I have given 

 are confined to such of the more remarkable plants as 

 cannot fail to arrest the attention of a stranger. In 

 illustration of these, I have had the advantage of copious 

 communications from WILLIAM FERGUSON, Esq., a gen- 

 tleman attached to the Survey Department of the Civil 

 Service in Ceylon, whose opportunities for observation 

 in all parts of the island have enabled him to cultivate 

 with signal success a taste for botanical pursuits. And 

 I have been permitted to submit the portion of my 

 work which refers to this subject to the revision of the 

 highest living authority on Indian botany, Dr. J. D. 

 HOOKER, of Kew. 



Regarding the fauna of Ceylon, little has been pub- 

 lished in any collective form, with the exception of a 

 volume by Dr. KELAART entitled Prodromus Faunae 

 Zeilanicce ; several valuable papers by Mr. EDGAR L. 

 LAYARD in the Annals and Magazine of Natural His- 

 tory for 1852 and 1853 ; and some very imperfect 

 lists appended to PRIDIIAM'S compiled account of the 



