350 REVIEWS — NATURAL HISTORY OF CEYLON. 



being calculated for progressive motion; it drags itself along by means of the 

 hook attached to each of its extended thumbs, pushing at the same time with 

 those of its hind feet. Its natural position is exclusively pensile ; it moves 

 laterally from branch to branch with great ease, by using each foot alternately, 

 and climbs, when necessary, by means of its claws. 



" When at rest, or asleep, the disposition of the limbs is most curious. At 

 such times it suspends itself by one foot only, bringing the other close to its 

 eide, and thus it is enabled to wrap itself in the ample folds of its wings, which 

 envelop it like a mantle, leaving only its upturned head uncovered. Its fur is 

 thus protected from damp and [rain, and to some extent its body is sheltered 

 from the sun," 



Our next extract relates to tbe leopard, illustrating, by an anecdote 

 communicated by Major Skinner, the dread with which this animal is 

 said to regard man : 



" The following morning, anxious to gain a height for my observations in time 

 to avail myself of the clear atmosphere of sunrise, I started off by myself through 

 the jungle; leaving orders for my men, with my surveying instruments, to follow 

 my track by the notches which I cut in the bark of the trees. On leaving the 

 plain, I availed myself of a fine wide game track which lay in my direction, 

 and [had gone, perhaps, half a mile from the camp, when I was startled by a 

 slight rustling in the nilloo to my right, and in another instant, by the spring of 

 a magnificent leopard, which, in a bound of full eight feet in height over the 

 lower brushwood, lighted at my feet within eighteen inches of the spot whereon 

 I stood, and lay in a crouching position, his fiery gleaming eyes fixed on me. 



" The predicament was not a pleasant one. I had no weapon of defence, and 

 with one spring or blow of his paw the beast could have annihilated ,me. To 

 move I knew would only encourage his attack. It occurred to me at the mo- 

 ment that I had beard of the power of man's eye over wild animals, and accord- 

 ingly I fixed ray gaze as intently as the agitation of such a moment enabled me, 

 on his eyes : we stared at each other for some seconds, when, to my inexpressible 

 joy, the beast turned and bounded down the straight open path before me. This 

 scene occurred just at that period of the morning when the grazing animals re- 

 tired from the open patena to the cool shade of the forest : doubtless, the leopard 

 had taken my approach for that of a deer, or some such animal. And if his 

 spring had been at a quadruped instead of a biped, his distance was so well 

 measured, that it must have landed him on the neck of a deer, an elk, or a 

 buffalo ; as it was, one pace more would have done for me. A bear would not 

 have let his victim off so easily." 



The highly interesting account of the elephant, and the method 

 employed in Oylon for his capture, is too long for our purpose ; but 

 the following passage, describing the approach to the scene of a great 

 corral witnessed by the author, gives some idea of the glorious rich- 

 ness of Nature in that beautiful island : 



