MULLAITIVU. 277 



search for the small foot-bones, which, for several reasons, I par. 

 ticularly wished to secure. 



" In digging for the bones we found several small frogs quite 

 solidly entombed, alive, a foot and a half deep in the solid, sandy 

 earth. We found three species altogether [but I regret to say I 

 never had an opportunity to identify them]. 



"Although their bodies were gi-eatly distended b}' the extraor- 

 dinary quantity of water they contained, they threw up half of it as 

 soon as they were taken from their living tombs, and then became 

 quite active. They had evidently been buried there by their own 

 knowledge and consent during the rains of the northeast monsoon, 

 and, but for our disturbance, would have remained where they were 

 all through the dry and hot season, and until the commencement of 

 the next monsoon. The stream was perfectly dry, and the natives 

 said there was no water for many miles around except in the wells. 



" My nine men were heavily loaded with the bones I selected, 

 and at midday, when the sun was flaming hot, we marched out to 

 the bandy, loaded it carefully, and started immediately for Xedun- 

 kenni, which we reached a little before sunset and halted for the 

 night. 



"Sunday, April 1th. — Eose very early, coffeed in haste, and just as 

 the sun sent his level rays over the top of the jungle, we set out 

 for Mullaitivu. I walked the first six miles and shot three jungle 

 cock and two wanderoo monkeys (.S'. leucoprymnus). 



" These big wanderoos are very numerous all around Nedunkenni 

 for five miles at least, and by going along the road one could easily 

 kill enough in one day to load a cart. This morning I saw more 

 than fifteen big troops of them, each of which contained fi'om ten 

 to fifteen individuals, Usutdly there are about fifteen in each gang, 

 so that the total number we saw must have been about two hun- 

 dred. They hterally lined the road for seven miles, sometimes in 

 the trees and sometimes on the ground. One troop of veiy large 

 old fellows we found playing in the road like school-boys, gallop- 

 ing up and down, or chasing each other about with theii- long tails 

 held up at an angle of forty-five degrees. Their favorite gait is 

 a gallop, unless the branches are too thick to permit it ; and they 

 can run almost as fast through the tree-tops as over bare ground. 

 When hotly pursued and thoroughly alarmed, it is marvellous to 

 see them run. They head straight away from their jDursuer and 

 gallop madly along the larger branches without a second's pause 

 or hesitation, without a fall or even a misstep, spring boldly fronj 



