Quadrupeds of Ceylon. 303 
a horrid noise and devour all the fruit which they can come 
at. To prevent their ravages, strong nets are thrown over the 
fruit trees, and a sort of rattle made of pieces of board so 
contrived as to clap together and frighten them away by its 
noise. 
The flying-foxes also see by day, and often fly about ob- 
serving where fruit is to be found ; but they defer their attack 
upon it till night, and generally keep among the thick woods 
till dark. They are very numerous in this island, and I have 
often seen them in such flocks as we are accustomed in Eu- 
rope to see rooks in the neighbourhood of an extensive rook- 
ery. It was my intention to have one of this species shipped 
over to Europe, and for this purpose I had killed one as it 
hovered over my head in the neighbourhood of Nigumbo; but 
the smell was so intolerable that it was impossible to preserve 
it even for the shortest time. 
The rats are very numerous and exceedingly troublesome. 
There are several species besides those common in Europe: the 
most observable are the blind-rat, the musk-rat, and the 
bandy-coot. The blind-rat lives in the fields, and burrows in 
the earth like the mole, chiefly about the banks of rivers. Like 
the mole it is instinctively warned to shun the surface of the 
ground by a membrane which closes over its eyes as soon as 
it becomes exposed to the rays of light: and from this it de- 
rives its name. 
The bandy-coot is as large as a middling-sized cat, the body 
very thick and round, and the head greatly resembling that of 
a hog ; it also makes a grunting noise like that animal. When 
closely pursued or attacked, the bandy-coot becomes very fierce, 
' and turns furiously on its assailants. 
