June i, ibQi.] 
THE TROPICAL AQRICULTURiSt. 
863 
CORAL FORMATIONS INLAND: 
Sir, — In the Galle Talpepattuwa, at Miripenna, 
I have seen people excavating large quantities of 
coral stones at a distance of about quarter of a 
mile from the sea in coconut gardens fully fifty 
years ol I. Have you any record in Ceylon of how 
this came about ? IRAVFjLLEII. 
[The explanation is that the coral has been 
formed in the eea and that the land is gradua'ly 
rising. The Jaffna Peninsula, which rests entirely 
on a foundation of coral, has, doubtless emerged 
from the sea, within a period which is geologi- 
cally recent. So with the southern coasts of the 
island. — E d. T. /f.] 
JUNGLE FOWLS AND THEIR CALLS. 
Dear Sir,— With reference to the extract from 
Nature concerning “ Cackling of Hens,” the writer 
wants to know if the wild jungle hen cackles when 
she lays her eggs. After much observation in jungles 
for many years, I should say the only noises made 
by the wild jungle hen are calls to her mate and 
cries of alarm. A wild bird conceals her nest 
with the greatest secrecy. The domesticated hen 
has many habits which are the result of long years 
of hereditary custom. For instance the wild jungle 
hen when disburbed with her brood flies off the 
chickens by instinot, rush and hide in all 
directions and lie quiet till the alarm is over, 
whereas the domeetioated fowl calls her chickens 
and shelters them under her wings, which motherly 
act forms a pathetic theme to poets. I always 
understood that the domesticated fowl is quite a 
different bird to the jungle fowl. Even among the 
jungle fowl there are great differences. The Ceylon 
jungle cock has quite a different crow from ihe 
crow of the Indian jungle cock, and the plumage 
is different. The writer of the article in question 
seems to think that domesticated fowls are really 
domesticated wild ones or their descendants. He 
might as well reason that domesticated cats which 
were known in Egypt in the days of Moses are 
descendants of the fierce uutameable fiery wild cat 
which it so much resembles in shape. One is 
not the descendant of the other, but both of 
course came from the same ancestor, and while 
one has advanced in savageness the other has 
advanced in domestication. 
It would be an interesting thing it it could be 
ascertained whether the Veddas are the remnants 
of the enlightened race who built those grand 
cities (now butiedl long before the arrival of the 
Sinhalese from the banks of the Ganges, or Tamils 
from the banks of the Cauvery. An originally 
civilized race run wild is very different from a 
really wild race ; and I question with all humility 
if there be any really wild human beings in the 
world. But in the oases of the horse, the cat, the 
bull, the sheep, and the barn-door cook, and the 
dog, these animals though they have their du- 
plicates amongs the wild animals, yet have been 
domesticated as far back as man has been known 
in the world. My idea is — 
1st a common ancestor. 
2nd a purely wild stock. 
3rd a purely tame stock 
” JUNGLE COCK-” 
IRRIGATION &c. THE HICLS AND RAIN : 
WANTED A METEOROLOGICAL ELECTRICIAN. 
Dear Sir,— 1 observe that you and your public 
are interested in irrigation matters : so perhaps 
Bome notions that have been simmering in my 
noddle for a while may be not amiss in your 
paper. 
Water is wanted to grow paddy, &c., in the 
regions about Anuradhapura and similar localities. 
Artesian wells have been advocated. No doubt they 
are us-ful where found — in France. &c.— but the 
difficuUy is, I apprehend, to find them in the North 
Central Province, or any other province in Ceylon. 
Then the rivers have been suggested for a supply, 
but somehow they are far away, ani to take 
them where they are wanted means a lot of trouble 
and expense. 
There remains for us the waters of the firma- 
ment — the source of all the other supplies, and 
apparently an inexhaustible source — -but the difficulty 
hitherto has been how to tap it. 
It has been suggested that as the firing of 
cannon in a battle brings down a shower, it might 
be worth while to send up by balloon a lot of 
powder into the upper regions and explode it 
Let those who are not afraid of wasting powder, 
make the experiment.* 
I had a discussion soma time ago on the paddy 
tax, and afterwards a rainfall of -21 was measured. 
Anyone desirous of carrying the subject or subjects 
further are welcome to my experience. 
I have an impression, however, that the tapping 
of the upper strata of the atmosphere is to be 
found in another direction. 
We see they have plenty of water and to spare 
in the bids. How do they get it ? Perhaps some 
light may be thrown on the matter by under- 
standing the operation of the oauaes that bring 
down the rain on the hills ; and first as to the 
fact that the hills do bring down rain. The 
statistics of rainfall show that not only is the 
rainfall greater in, and near, the hills, but that 
those localities of a low elevation that lie in 
front of the bills in the direction of the coming 
monsoon have a greater rainfall than places of 
the same elevation, which have not the hills be- 
hind them. 
Kslutara, which during the S.-W. monsoon 
has the high mountain range of Pedro behind it, 
over 40 miles off, has the greatest rainfall of any 
place on the west coast during the S.-W. mon 
soon. 
As we take the statistics of rainfall north and 
south from Kalutara, wa find the rainfall de- 
creases towards Colombo and Galle. At Negombo 
and Matara — both well out of the range of the 
hill infiuenoe — we find a great diminution, and 
at Manaar and Hambantota, where there is no 
influence of hills, the rainfall is at the minimum. 
Nearer the range of hills their influence 
on tbe rainfall seems to increa-e, as the 
statistics of Padiapolla and Kotmalie and simi. 
larly situated districts testify. 
The fact being indisputable the next question is 
how do the mountains affect the rainfall. One 
theory is that the hills cool the air and its 
m sture by the usual process of conduction and 
rad a.iOn, and as the (J i 0 sture in the air is cooled 
it becomes oloud and labs in rain. 
Now it may be that the hills are cooler than the 
lowcouutry, but has anyone actually tested the 
matter and proved that the ground on the hills 
IB cooler than on the lowcountry in a dry time. 
Be that as it may : however, I think the 
experience of everyone will bear out this, that 
the rain when it comes is cooler than the ground 
and a ‘XnMy cools the ff round. 
That theory then of the hills cooling the air by 
0 induction or radiation may bo set aside as in- 
sufficient to account for the rainfall on the hills; 
* An experiment in Australia resulted iu failure,-* 
Ed. T.J, 
