MAMMAL SURVEY OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 81 



Unfortunate^ the " nilln "* was not in bloom. I was told it 

 blooms once in every 7 or 10 years. When this occurs and the 

 seeds drop all the small Eodents and Jungle Fowl come in 

 thousands to feed on them, followed by the larger mammals. The 

 rats, &c., literally kill themselves by overeating. I was told 

 that one Nillu Season the rats died in such numbers on the banks 

 of the lake at Newera Eliya — presumably the seed makes them very 

 thirsty — that the Town was obliged to have them collected and 

 buried by coolies. Very bad driving mists occur here and slight 

 frosts in the early mornings. The noticeable thing in the up- 

 country jungle, as compared with that in the low country, is the 

 absolute stillness and silence and apparent lack of animal and 

 bird life. Sambhar, locally known as " Elk," are very plentiful, 

 and Elephants cross over Summit Level. I did not see one Bat 

 whilst here — natives reported Bats in the Summit Level Tunnel, 

 but on investigation I found them to be Swallows. These build 

 the edible nests, and I was told the Chinese Emperor yearly sent 

 men over to collect them. 



Ambaiuela, Uva Province. — A group of Tea Estates about 5 

 miles east of the Bandarawella Railway Line. Elevation about 

 5,000 feet, with hills running 600 to 1,000 feet higher. The hill 

 tops, generally covered with jungle, where not under tea. Lower 

 slopes covered with coarse grass 3 or 4 feet long. Beyond here 

 towards Hakgalla, one of the high peaks of Ceylon, the country is 

 open and hilly Patnasf jungles, on the tops and on the banks of 

 the various " Ellas." 



There is practically no population, except the coolies on the 

 various Tea Estates. 



Kola Oya — On the Anuradhapura and Putlam Road, on the Kala 

 Oya River, dividing the North-Central and North- West Provinces. 

 Elevation about 1 40 feet. Country flat and covered with a thick 

 thorny and cactus treed jungle, about 20 feet high, the only good 

 trees along the River banks. North of this and in both Provinces 

 is a large Game Sanctuary, the Forest Guards of which said they 

 had never seen Flying Squirrels and rarely the M. vitticoUis. The 

 Leopard is common about here. The Wet Season is in the N. E. 

 Monsoon. 



Mannar, Northern Province. — Is nearly at the end of the Railway 

 line under construction from Madawachchi on the Jaffna and Anura- 



* "Nillu" Strobilanthes sp-, an allied form is common on the Western Ghats of 

 Bombay. Herds of Cattle are taken long distances to areas where the ' Karvi ' has 

 seeded, and become very fat. 



t Patnas Jungle — H. H. W. Pearson has a most interesting paper on the nature 

 and origin of these Jungles (" Botany of the Ceylon Patanas-" Journ. Linn. Soc 

 xxxiv., p. 300, 1898-1900). He says "The tree vegetation of the Uva patanas is 

 represented by comparatively few individuals, belonging to two species, viz. : — 

 PhT/Uanthus emblica (up to 3,000') and Gareya arbor ea (3,000' — 4,500')''- 

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