MAMMAL SURVEY OF INDIA. 701 



valleys and round the villages are small paddy fields. Lot of 

 Sambur or Elk (local name) about, and planters offer a reward of 

 Rs. 10 per head and Es. 5 for Porcupines; but these are rarely 

 claimed, as the natives are too lazj'-, even though these rewards can 

 be almost doubled by selling the flesh. Rats and mice seem scarce, 

 also bats. I got practically no help at all from the villagers. 



Hiniduna, S. P. — 10 miles up the Gin-Ganya, thick evergreen 

 jungle, " leechy " and no good. 



Banna, S. P. — Rest house, small bazaar and village, eight miles 

 E. of Tangalla; is on a small river about 3 miles from the coast 

 and lagoon ; these are full of esturine crocodiles, with a man-eater, 

 reported length about 16 feet, has killed three people and a 

 number of cattle. The country gets much drier here, no forest, 

 but one mass of " Lantana Ohena, " with paddy fields near the 

 village, and an old dry tank 1-^ miles distant. The Lantaiia is 

 about 8 or 9 feet high and practically impenetrable, except by 

 native tracts. Saw fresh Elephant tracks in the tank — water 

 scarce. Natives here laz}:^, apathetic and non-observant with strong 

 religious scruples against killing, and objected to my setting traps 

 round the bazaar or gardens. Langurs plentiful along by the 

 river, but hard to shoot and harder still to get when shot, as the 

 jungle along by the river-bank is rattan cane jungle. Heard spotted 

 deer in Chena, but impossible to see or get round them. Peacocks 

 fairly plentiful. 



. Hambantota, 8. P. — A port and fairly large village and bazaar, po- 

 pulation about 2,000 with A. G. A. and Government Kacheri, and 

 Rest-house on the coast 18 miles E. of Ranna. A flat, dry sandy 

 country, with low scrub and cactus trees surrounding several 

 large salt water lakes or " Lewayas;" these dry up during 

 the hot weather and deposit salt which is the main industry, 

 fishing is also carried on. Population mixed Singalese, Tamils, 

 Malays and Moormen. The Malays are descendants of one of the 

 old disbanded Malay Regiments. The large Government salt 

 store sheds are swarming with bats, but I could only get two 

 species. The short-nosed and fulvous Fruit Bats I found living 

 in a large jungle of Palmyra Palms on the sandhills by the sea. 

 Practically nothing brought in by the local natives, but Mudeliyar 

 Bahur of the salt works gave me a great deal of help and sent me 

 a lot in from Kirinda, 25 miles away ; but being so far off, they 

 nearly all reached me too bad to skin. He is the only Mudeliyar 

 so far who has reall}^ helped. 



Weligtta, 8. P. — About 9 miles N. E. of Hambantota in the 

 centre of very dry scrubby cactus and thorn jungle ; nearest village 

 4 miles ; water very scarce here and drying up daily. There is a 

 large old tank here, but it was burst in January, as at Ranna and 

 many other places, by the exceptional rains which took place then. 

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