NO. 4r.— 1848.] SKETCHES IN NATUKAL HISTORY. 



53 



SKETCHES IN THE NATURAL HISTORY 

 OF CEYLON. 



By Edgar L. Layard, Esq., c.m.e.s. 



(Read 4tk November, 1848.) 



In offering to the Society the accompanying Sketch on 

 the Genus Papilio inhabiting Ceylon, I beg to make such 

 few observations as will explain the plan which I propose 

 to pursue, should my essay be deemed worthy of a place in 

 the Society's Journal. 



Little or nothing exists on the spot to show the progress 

 that has been made in the investigation of the Fauna of the 

 Island. I therefore propose to enumerate, from time to 

 time, the various indigenous species of Insects, Birds, &c, 

 giving a description of such as are new, briefly stating their 

 locality, season of appearance, food, and any other pecu- 

 liarities which may be interesting. In my text I shall 

 follow, as closely as may be, the example of men of note 

 who have pursued the same course, such as Hodgson, Sykes, 

 Blyth, and many others, whom, though I cannot equal, I 

 may at least follow. For the correctness of facts stated, I 

 will vouch ; for the correctness of the identification of 

 species I cannot ; although, to guard against mistakes to 

 the utmost of my power, 1 will submit my specimens to the 

 scrutiny of those who have the power of referring to the 

 vast collections in England and India., and also to books ? 

 of which no Library in the Island possesses a single volume 

 on Oriental Entomology or (with the exception of the 

 Bengal Asiatic Society's Journal) Ornithology. 



1 had the honour some time since of reading before this 

 Society a Paper on " Collecting and Rearing Lepidoptera 



