( 164 ) 
during the months of Aug., Sept. and Oct. In 
1902 the Malay Stock Inspector announced that 
he found a certain kind of seaweed, called 
mukkarapasi in Tamil, in the mouth of a sick 
horse. This filamentous seaweed is thrown upon 
the shore in great quantities during heavy south- 
west weather. When dried it somewhat resembles 
horse hair in appearance and consistency. The 
Stock Inspector said that the horses habitually 
eat seaweed which has drifted ashore, and the 
inference was that the injurious weed is sometimes 
ingested accidentally, together with the edible 
kinds with which it is in fact often entangled. 
After making personal observations and hearing 
the most contradictory accounts from the natives 
concerning the properties of mukkarapasi, I 
decided to test the matter by wrapping some of 
the weed in a wisp of fresh grass and offering 
the mixture to an old mare, who swallowed three 
mouthfuls. Within forty-eight hours the mare 
betrayed the distressing symptoms of the malady, 
but was cured within the next two days by a 
drench of castor oil and laudanum administered 
by the Stock Inspector. A full report of my 
experiences was duly forwarded to Government, 
and a copy was sent to the trovernment 
Agent of the Northern Province. Since 
writing it I have been informed by Dr. 
Fritsch, an expert algologist, who recently 
visited Ceylon, that the mukkara-pasi is a fila- 
mentous alga belonging to the genus Lynghya. 
MINERAL GALLERY. 
A room in the block behind the main building 
has been cleared, painted, and furnished on special 
estimate, with wall cases and table cases for the 
exhibition of rocks, minerals and gems of Ceylon, 
arranged and classified by the Director of the 
Mineral Survey, Mr A K Coomaraswamy, assisted 
by Mr J A Parsons. The cases were neither 
free from the carpenter's hands nor fully stocked 
with specimens by the end of the year, and the 
gallery will not be ready for the admission of 
the public for some time to come, although visitors 
who are specially interested can be admitted to 
a private view on application. Two wall cases 
in the natural history gallery which contained 
minerals were emptied and subsequently re-stocked 
with zoological specimens. 
ANTIQUITIES, 
An ancient carved pillar from the Medagoka 
Dewale, Kegalla, which was lying in the outer 
verandah, has been mounted in an upright position 
behind the famous lion of Polonnaruwa. A set 
of ancient relics, including a lai'ge number of 
fragments of pottery, many with inscriptions, 
discovered by Mr H Parker at Tissamaharama, 
has been mounted on a specially constructed stand 
and placed on exhibition in the Stone Gallery, 
Occasionally some valuable pieces of old native 
jewellery are brought for sale, antique necklaces 
of the value of hSOO and even more. Some of 
these are of fine workmanship, superior to any- 
thing of the kind which the Museum possesses. 
I am told that they have gone out of fashion 
and are not likely to be repeated. Their probable 
destination is abroad unless purchased for the 
Museum on special estimate. 
THE COLOMBO MUSEUM AND THE ST. LOUIS 
EXHIBITION. 
Collections of Maldivian lacquered articles, 
Sinhalese jewellery, elephants skull and tusks, 
and small plaster casts of Ceylon racial types 
have been lent to the St. Louis Commissioner 
with Government sanction. A very handsome 
spindle-shaped lacquered box from the Maldive 
Islands, used as a holder for a lace-making pillow, 
was included in the Maldivian collection, and was 
specially fitted up with a complete set of new 
bobbins by the kindness of IV r. Ibrahim Didi. 
The services of the Assistant Librarian, Mr. H. 
M. Gunasekara, were retained for the supply of 
ola manuscripts and masks ; and the Taxidermist, 
Mr. H. F. Fernando, was instrumental in pro- 
curing a set of bird skins, deer and monkey 
skins, butterflies, &c. The Commissioner, the Hon. 
Mr. Stanley Bois, desired to obtain paper moulds 
of moonstones at the Museum, and sent a bale 
of paper to be used for this purpose together 
with directions. The work was entrusted to the 
Clerk and Draughtsman, Mr. F. P. Candappa, and 
has been carried eut .satisfactorily, so far as can 
be judged at this end. The Fishery Exhibit 
prepared for St. Louis by Mr. James Hornell 
and the model of the Colombo Harbour Works 
constructed by Mr. F. W. Steyn under the direction 
of the Resident Engineer were exhibited tempor- 
arily in the Entrance Hall of the Museum. 
EXCHANGE OF SPECIMENS. 
Applications from other Museums for the 
exchange of specimens are received from time to 
time and afford a certain amount of embarrass-, 
ment because the scope of the Colombo Museum is 
restricted by regulation to objects found in Ceylon 
and its dependencies. However interesting and 
valuable may be the exchanges offered from abroad, 
they are not acceptable here, as they do not fall 
within the present scope of the establishment. 
Moreover, the difficulty of procuring specimens in 
response to special requests is greater than is 
usually supposed. A box containing bones of the 
remarkable extinct bird, the Dodo, has been 
received during the year from the Museum at 
Mauritius, accompanied by a list of desiderata for 
the Mauritius Museum. 
EXPENDITURE. 
The cost of the Colombo Museum in 190.3 was as 
follows: —Personal Emoluments Rl3,006 80, Other 
Charges — Purchase of Books Rl, 812-44, Binding 
Books R189-25, Petty Expenses* Rl,527-83, 
Stationery R105'27, Maintenance of Grounds 
K88196, For Specimens Rl, 883 10, Preparing, 
Preserving, and Mounting Specimens R2,635"34, 
Pay of Collectors R672 7, Conservancy of Latrines 
R96, Travelling Allowance to Staff Rl,. 354-82, 
and Furniture R986-98. Total R12,145 6. Grand 
Total R25,15l 86. 
Receipts. By subscriptions and sale of "Spolia 
Zeylanica" R30I 25. Sale of other Museum Publi- 
cations R12-37. Total R3]3 62. 
ARTHUR WILLEY, 
February 1, 1904. Director. 
•Includes cost of "Spolia Zeylanioa." 
I 
