Chap. I.] ZOOLOGY OF CEYLON AND INDIA. 



61 



Ceylon was alleged to bear the same relation as Sicily 

 presents to the peninsula of Italy. Malte Bkun 1 and 

 the geographers generally, declared the larger animals 

 of either to be common to both. I was led to question 

 the soundness of this dictum; — and from a closer ex- 

 amination of its geological conformation and of its bo- 

 tanical and zoological characteristics I came to the con- 

 clusion that not only is there an absence of sameness 

 between the formations of the two localities ; but that 

 plants and animals, mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects 

 exist in Ceylon, which are not to be found in the flora 

 and fauna of the Dekkan ; but which present a striking 

 affinity, and occasionally an actual identity, with those 

 of the Malayan countries and some of the islands of the 

 Eastern Archipelago. Startling as this conclusion ap- 

 peared to be, it was strangely in unison with the legends 

 of the Singhalese themselves, that at an infinitely remote 

 period Ceylon formed an integral portion of a vast con- 

 tinent, known in the mythical epics of the Brahmans by 

 the designation of "Lanka;" so immense that its south- 

 ern extremity fell below the equator, whilst in breadth 

 it was prolonged till its western and eastern boundaries 

 touch at once upon the shores of Africa and China. 



Dim as is this ancient tradition, it is in consistency with 

 the conclusions of modern geology, that at the com- 

 mencement of the tertiary period northern Asia and a 

 considerable part of India were in all probability covered 

 by the sea — but that south of India land extended 

 eastward and westward connecting Malacca with Arabia. 

 Professor Ansted has propounded this view. His 

 opinion is, that the Himalayas then existed only as a 

 chain of islands, and did not till a much later age be- 



1 Malte Brun, Geogr. Univ., 1. xlix. 



