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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [Vol. VIII. 



birds and squirrels. Bombax Malabaricum, or red cotton, 

 the katu-imbul of the Sinhalese, appears frequently below 

 3,000 feet, and attains a large size. During the flowering 

 season this tree attracts a curious number of birds, that 

 find food both in the flowers as well as on the insects 

 that congregate upon them. Kekuna ( Canarium Zeyla- 

 nicum) is found in every native garden in the district, 

 but I do not remember having ever seen it in forest. 

 Cinnamon trees ( Cinnamomum Zeylanicum) are not uncom- 

 monly found in the forest, together with a large number of 

 species known as bastard cinnamon. 



Katuboda (Cullenia excelsa) appears in many parts of 

 the forest, but it is not very common. Ebony ( Diospyros 

 ebenum) occurs but very sparingly, and not above 3,000 

 feet as far as my personal experience goes. The kora-gaha 

 or "thief-tree" (Dlpterocarpus Zeylanicus), is frequently 

 found in sheltered forests, at low elevations, where the 

 Sinhalese use it for the gum-like oil that is extracted from 

 it. The next well-known resin-yielding tree, the stately 

 dun (Doona Zeylanica), is very numerous on the dividing 

 range, but becomes comparatively rare below 2,500 feet. 

 Kina badulla, dewata, and many other valuable timber 

 trees abound, too numerous to mention in a paper confined 

 to ornithology, though their claims of interest would 

 otherwise demand a much more extended notice than I 

 am able at present to afford, even presuming that I was 

 sufficiently qualified to render justice to such a task. 



I am bound, however, to say a few words with regard to 

 the grass and chena land botany. In the former, the wide 

 extent of mana grass ( Andropogon Martini ), freely mixed 

 with the patana or brake fern (both largely used by 

 cinchona planters for " covering " and " shading " respec- 

 tively), represent the most characteristic features of the so- 

 called grass land. These wide areas of grass are here and 

 there dotted over with the well-known patana oak, and are 

 peculiarly interesting to the ornithologist. As many curious 

 species may be found, such as Dumeta albogularis, Pyctorkis 

 nasalis, Prinia socialis, and the ubiquitous Cisticola cursitans^ 



