THE ISLAND OF CEYLON. 293 
name, is about two feet. The flormouse lives in the woods, 
and perches 011 the tallest trees. While asleep or inactive these 
animals suspend themselves by the feet from the branches, and 
continue to hang in this manner as if they were dead. The 
night is the season of their activity : at that time they fly 
about with 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 then 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 Europe to see crows about 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 ta 
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, tlie 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 
