CHAP. I.] MOXKEYS. i2& 



are five species, four of which belong to one group, the 

 Wanderoos, and the other is the little graceful grimacing 

 rilawa \ which is the universal pet and favourite, of both 

 natives and Europeans. 



KNOX, in his captivating account of the island, gives 

 an accurate description of both ; the Eilawas, with 

 " no beards, white faces, and long hair on the top of 

 their heads, which parteth and hangeth down like a 

 man's, and~1frhich do a deal of mischief to the corn, 

 and are so impudent that they will come into their 

 gardens, and eat such fruit as grows there. And the 

 Wanderoos, some as large as our English spaniel dogs, 

 of a darkish grey colour, and black faces with great 

 white beards round from ear to ear, which makes them 

 shew just like old men. This sort does but little mis- 

 chief, keeping in the wqpds, eating only leaves and 

 buds of trees, but when they are catched they will eat 

 anything." 2 



KNOX, whose experience during his long captivity was 

 confined almost exclusively to the hill country around 

 Kandy, spoke in all probability of one large and com- 

 paratively powerful species, Presbytes ursinus, which in- 

 habits the lofty forests, and which, as well as another of 

 the same group, P. Thersites, was, till recently, unknown 

 to European naturalists. The Singhalese word Ouanderu 

 has a generic sense, and being in every respect the 

 equivalent for our own term of " monkey," it necessarily 

 comprehends the low country species, as well as those 

 which inhabit other parts of the island. And, in point 

 of fact, there are no less than four animals in the island, 

 each of which is entitled to the name of "wanderoo." 3 



interesting facts relative to the Ri- 



1 Macaous pileatus, Shaw and 

 Desmarest. The "bonneted Ma- 

 caque " is common in the south and 

 west ; and a spectacled monkey is | Ion, an Island in the East Indies. 



lawa of Ceylon. 

 2 KNOX, Historical Relation of Cey- 



said to inhabit the low countiy near 

 to Bintenne ; but I have never seen 

 one brought thence. A paper by 

 J)r. TEMPLETON, in the Mag. Nat. 

 Hist. n. s. xiv. p. 301, contains some 



P. i. ch. vi. p. 25. Fol. Lond. 1681. 

 See an account of his captivity, 

 Vol. II. p. 65 n. 



s Down to a very late period, a 

 large and somewhat repulsive-look- 



VOL. I. K 



