774 
Supplement to the u Tropical Agriculturist." 
[May 1, 1895. 
It is a curious coincidence that while we were 
writing the last of the series of notes (appearing 
in this number), that a new work entitled Agri- 
cultural Zoology should have reached our hands. 
The author is Dr. Bos of the Royal Agricultural 
College, Wageningen, Holland, and the translator 
Mr. Ainsworth Davies, b.A. (Trinity College, Cam- 
Bridge), a professor in the University of Wales. 
Miss Eleanor Ornierod, the distinguished ento- 
mologist writes an introduction to the work whicli 
is furnished with 149 illustrations. 
We quote as follows from the preface by Miss 
Ormerod :— By request of Professor Ainsworth 
Davies, the skilful translator of the " hand-book" 
on Agricultural Zoology, I add some words of in- 
troduction ; and I have special pleasure in doing 
sq, not that any observations of mine can add 
value to the work of the well-known autlv>r, but 
because, having myself had the advantage for 
many years of colleagueship, and important help 
in my own work from the assistance of Dr. Rit- 
zema Bos, I am well acquainted both with his ex- 
tensive knowledge and also his scrupulous care in 
observation, and I believe that this abstract of his 
larger work, [Animal foes and friends] now given 
in a form in which it is available for general use, 
will meet a great demand. We have long wanted 
a book, plain in wording and of moderate size, 
dealing with the wild animals or animal infesta- 
tions generally, which occur in connection with 
farm life — a manual, in fact, which while suit- 
able for the use of agricultural students and 
teachers, should at the same time not be too techni- 
cally scientific to be unintelligible to practical far- 
mers or general readers ... I trust this Manual 
of Agricultural Zoology will take its place in our 
farm and school libraries, which I believe it to be 
excellently fitted t^ftll. The five sub-kingdoms as 
given by Dr. Bos are (beginning from the highest) 
Vertetrata, Arthropoda, Vermes, Mollusca. Echi- 
nodermata, Coelenterata, and Protozoa. The pub- 
lishers of the book, which is well got up, are 
Messrs. Chapman & Hall, and the selling price 
in England is 5s. We heartily commend it to all 
students of agriculture. 
LAWS OF CEYLON -RELATING TO 
AGRICULTURE. 
OewnangE No. -23 op 1889. 
[Ctiiilitvued, from the, issue of April -1891 of this 
■Magazine.'] 
Chapter IV. 
Irrigation Headmen. 
1. If the meeting referred to in Chap. III. § 3 
shall vthrok it necessary, one or more headmen 
shall be elected for the district for which the meet- 
ing has been called. Such headmen shall attend, 
subject to the Government Agent, to all matters 
connected with the irrigation and cultivation of 
paddy lands, and the maintenance of rights and 
works connected therewith, and to the prevention 
of any acts opposed to ancient customs, or likely 
to damage the interests of the proprietors. 
2. (a.) The headmen shall be elected by a majo- 
rity of the proprietors present at such meet- 
ing, either in person or by proxy in writing. 
(b?) The Government Agent may dismiss any 
headman for misconduct ; and in such a Case, or 
in case of vacancy by death or resignation, another 
bea'dmaa may be elected at a meeting of the pro- 
prietors, duly notified and held, and the Govern- 
ment may appoint a headman provisionally, and if 
at a mietiug no headman is elected, the Govern- 
ment Agent may appoint a person to the office, 
(c.) No one convicted of any infamous crime is 
eligible for election as headman. 
Whenever any act shall have been committed 
contrary to ancient customs, or likely to 
damage the interests of the proprietors, it shall 
be the headman's duty to repair to the place, 
and to take immediate step* to prevent in- 
jury, if prompt action is necessary, und to 
place matters in ttatu quo, and forth with tore- 
port matters to the Government Agent- When 
prompt action is not necessary to prevent injury, 
the headman may communicate witli the Govern- 
ment Agent, and tiieu act according to instruc- 
tions. Although tlie headman has taken prompt 
action, the Village Council may inventigate such 
matters in districts where both systems exist. 
4. Whenever n headman incurs any expenditure 
in the execution of his duty, and the person in 
consequence of whose act the expenditure was in- 
curred denies his liability, and refuses to pay it, 
the Government Agent, on being satisfied that the 
expenditure was justly incurred, may issue to such 
person a certificate setting out his name, the nature 
of the act, the amount of expenditure, and the 
name of the headman. And if the sum is not paid 
within ten days, the Government Agent may pro- 
ceed against him as provided by Chap. IX. of this 
Ordinance. 
5. If any headman shall fail or neglect to per- 
form his duties, or acts in excess of his authority, 
or in bad faith, or without probable cause, or wan- 
tonly and maliciously, he *hall be answerable to 
the injured person and be guilty of an offence, and 
be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty rupees. 
6. Any person unlawfully resisting, molesting, 
or obstructing any headman in the discharge of his 
duties shall be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty 
rupees. 
7. The Committee appointed under § 3 of Chap- 
ter III. of this Ordinance, or the Government Agent 
if no Committee shall have been appointed, may 
award remuneration to irrigation headmen either 
in kind, from the produce of the dist rict for which 
such headman is appointed, or in money, and the 
proprietors of such district shall be liable to make 
such remuneration, and in case of default, the same 
shall be recovered from them as provided in Chap. 
IX. of this Ordinance. 
H. A. J. 
(To be continued.) 
ADVANTAGES OF GREEN MANURING. 
Dr. Webb gives the following as the typical ad- 
vantages of green manuring : — 
1. There is a direct addition of plant-food to 
the soil, as during the growth of the plant it 
absorbs food from the air, and the upper layers of 
the soil are enriched by matter brought up from 
the subsoil, and which, when the plants are 
ploughed in, becomes almost immediately avail- 
able for the succeeding crop. 
With certain crops this gain in plant-food is 
much more marked, as it consists in an increase of 
the nitrogen in the Soil at the expense of that of 
the air. 
