192 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XII. 



the air with their cries " ; kurullo bimata bahina veldiva, "the 

 time that the birds alight from their roost " ; bambara messo 

 gosdva veldwa, "the time that the bambara bees hum"; 

 gasvala neti pena veldwa, " the time that the branches and 

 twigs of the trees can be seen " ; alle iri pena veldwa, " the 

 time at which the lines in one's palm can be seen " ; pe tetiya 

 veldwa, "the time the water-clock is set agoing" ; aruna 

 veldwa, aruna neguna, " the sun has risen. " 



Harak dakkana veldwa, " the time when men drive cattle 

 (to plough)," is an expression commonly used to denote one of 

 the small hours of the morning. 



The sun having risen, pinda pdta veldwa comes next. 

 It is between 9 A.M. and 11 A.M. Buddhist priests start from 

 their monasteries to beg alms at about 9 A.M., and are so 

 engaged till about 11 A.M., when they return to their 

 residence — the interval is known as pinda pdta veldwa, 

 "alms gathering time. " 



Dan veldwa is the time when the monks partake of the 

 meals they have begged, and is about 11 o'clock. 



" Midday" is madyana or pahalos-peya, "15 o'clock," when 

 the " swinked " husbandman has his midday meal, and this is 

 a point of time from which and to which he reckons in peyas. 

 This hour is also called hiti-piyara veldwa, the hour when 

 the shadow of a man is under his foot. It is also known as 

 ira-mudun veldwa, the hour when the sun is right over head; 

 maha-madyana, great midday ; and avara veldwa. 



A pretty expression, ml kelina veldwa, "what time bees 

 do play," is used to denote a time about four o'clock in the 

 afternoon. This time is also known as mal pipena veldwa, 

 the hour when the {sendirikka) flowers burst into bloom.* 



The expression husmak is used to denote 5 or 1\ peyas, 

 the time during which a man is engaged in working without 

 intermission, but Mr. White gives this explanation : " Should 

 any one molest a husbandman while tilling his paternal 

 fields with the mamoty (gaudentem patrios finder e sarculo 



* Sendirikka is the "Marvel of Peru," commonly called " four o'clock 

 flower." 



