166 
A VISIT TO CEYLON. 
here were a gigantic worm, 5ft. long, an inch thick, and of a fine sky- 
bine colour; the beautiful mountain jungle fowl (Gallus Lafayetti); 
and the large asli-coloured monkey of the hill forests (Presbytes 
ursinus ). 
At the lonely northern portion of the Island—the home of leopards, 
bears, and wild elephants—called Horton’s Plain—is a precipice known 
by the characteristic name of “ The World’s End. The rocky wall 
here terminates in an abrupt fall of 5,000ft.; the view of the southern 
rich plain below from the top is described as grand. Here the Professor 
and his native attendants wandered in the tracks of wild elephants—the 
only paths—and on one occasion only he saw a herd of “ ten or twelve 
elephants taking their breakfast very much at their ease.” Here, also, 
he ascended Adam’s Peak 7,200ft. high, and took his leave for ever of 
the hill country of Ceylon,” returning to Colombo partly by the Black 
River, near which “ the tropical vegetation seems to have reached its 
richest development.” The troublesome land leeches of Ceylon were 
the only contretemps. 
An uneventful journey to Egypt by the “ Castor” en route for home 
succeeded. At Cairo he remained a few days, and had an opportunity 
of observing the contrast not only between “ the noisy and eager Arab” 
and “ the gentle unpresuming Cinghalese,” but also between the 
vegetation of fertile Ceylon and arid Egypt. He points out the 
“botanical symbols” peculiar to each country—the palm, represented 
in Ceylon by the cocoa-nut and in Egypt by the date-palm, “ each of 
almost equal value,” but totally dissimilar in appearance and 
effect—each being appropriate in its own environment. A high 
compliment to British colonisation concludes this beautiful and 
remarkable book, which should be read by every naturalist, and by 
everyone seeking to be acquainted with the present condition of Ceylon. 
We shall look forward pleasurably to further accounts of this 
most interesting expedition, and of the rich and varied collections in 
Natural History made by the Professor. The volume has been trans¬ 
lated from the German by Clara Bell, and that lady appears to have 
accomplished the task in a genial spirit and most successfully. There 
is little to indicate that it is other than an original work. 
In our humble opinion it is more than a mere coincidence that the 
writings of the Evolutionists—Darwin, Fiske, Haeckel, Huxley, Lyell, 
Herbert Spencer, Tyndall, et id genus omne —of which this is a notable 
example—rank among the most brilliant and remarkable specimens 
that have characterised a generation unusually rich in literature of all 
kinds. It is a product of the great and all embracing doctrine which 
they advocate. W. R. Hughes. 
METEOROLOGICAL NOTES.— April, 1884. 
The barometer was rather low at the commencement of the month, 
and fell till the 5th, after which it rose steadily till the 14th ; two 
slight depressions were succeeded by a gradual fall to the end of the 
month. Temperature was rather high for the first few days, but after 
