6226 



Fauna of Amoy. 



derived the expression La-lee-t^aou, applied to a scabby head, in 

 allusion to the bare hairless state of the pangolin's back. Many 

 strange stories are told about this creature by the natives ; among the 

 strangest of which is the cunning mode employed in procuring a 

 meal. The artful pangolin, when suffering from the pangs of 

 hunger, rolls himself up, and, erecting his scales, lays bare the naked 

 flesh beneath ; in this position he lies for some time, until, attracted 

 by the savory smell of flesh, thousands of mosquitoes swarm on his 

 back to devour; the scales are then simultaneously compressed, and a 

 plentiful meal is shaken out from the fold of his coat of mail, to be 

 relished at leisure by his long tongue. Large prices are given by the 

 native doctors for this animal, as its flesh and bones are employed for 

 various medicinal purposes ; and one of its scales, fastened to the 

 end of a stick, is sold as a safe instrument to be used in scratching, 

 without fear of producing ulcers on the skin. So much, then, for the 

 La-lee, on which I have dwelt longer than I should; but, considering 

 its numerous peculiarities, I thought I was justified in saying what 

 little I knew. 



Dismissing, then, the Cheiroptera of the Carnaria, with a notice 

 that several species of the genus Vespertilio exist under the Venetians 

 and eaves of most of our houses, and may be seen of an evening per- 

 forming "on giddy wing their gambols round the brook, the tree ;" 

 and also the Cetacea, the Phocsense or porpoises of w^hich order are 

 well known to us even in the harbour, where at times they may be 

 seen showing their round white backs in a line, and then disap- 

 pearing, to be seen again at a further distance ; — let us now turn to 

 the Aves, at which class we must take a much more general glance, 

 as their numbers are much greater than the Mammals ; for there are 

 certain spots on the earth's surface where the latter are seldom, if 

 ever, seen ; but, possessed of such various locomotive powers, the 

 former are found in all parts of the globe. We commence, then, 

 with the Raptores. Of the true Falconida3, the species indigenous to 

 Amoy is the Falco tinnunculoides, also found in Europe. The pere- 

 grine falcon [Falco peregrinus) is a straggling visitor, but a pair built 

 their eyrie last year on the high hill of Nan-tai-woo (on the summit of 

 w^hich stands the pagoda), and some Chinese, who had robbed the 

 nest, exposed the young birds (little balls of white down, with long 

 yellow claws and noble black eyes) in the market for sale as young 

 kites. I readily purchased them, and kept them in confinement for 

 some time, and had the pleasure of watching the gradual casting off 

 of the white down, and development of feathers. Their erect posture, 



