DAMBULLA—ANUEADHAPURA 375 
it was very conspicuous on the wing, but never came within 
reach. 
Of the Hymenoptera the most conspicuous was Xylocopa tenuiscapa. 
A flowering shrub was especially attractive to Bees, including plenty 
of Apis florea, Pabr., var. andreniformis, Smith, a Ceratina, and a 
Proso'pis ; I took also one of the blue bee Podalirius zonatus. 
The most interesting Dambulla insect was Scelimena logani, 
Hancock, of which my wife caught the first specimen when fishing for 
Water Snails in a swift but shallow stream. This is a 
genuine Water Grasshopper, or rather amphibious grass¬ 
hopper. It flies in the sun readily enough for two or 
three yards, and, when it alights on rock or sand at the 
water’s edge, is by no means easy to see, being exactly the 
colour of its surroundings; it is, however, easily caught 
when detected. When it takes to the water it swims 
beneath the surface with a series of jerks, each stroke 
carrying it but a short distance, recalling a Water-boat- 
man ( Notonecta ), though it does not swim on its back as 
they do. Examination proves the hind tibiae and tarsi to 
be flattened out so as to form jointed oars. [See Fig. 13; also 
Plate IV., Fig. 13.] Mr. H. Knight pointed out that the 
blade of the oar strikes the water with a concave surface 
as the insect kicks out, whereas in recovering a convex 
surface is presented to the water. Mr. Shelford informs Grasshopper, 
me that the nearly allied Gavialidmm crocodilus, Sauss., 
has hind legs of the usual structure. I subsequently came across 
S, logani in a small stream close by the Rock Temple at Hindugala, two 
miles south of Peradeniya, but not in such numbers as at Dambulla. 
Anuradhapura, 86 miles (by road) N. of Kandy, 278 ft. 
above sea-level. 
February 25th and 26th, 1908. 
The road from Dambulla to Anuradhapura leads through a very 
sparsely inhabited jungle. In ancient times the land was irrigated 
and under cultivation, hut the irrigation works were allowed to fall 
into decay, and Nature resumed possession, as a consequence it is 
now covered with a forest of secondary growth. The trees are of 
very moderate size, there are practically no palms, and there is little 
save a general untidiness to suggest the tropics. Houses are miles 
apart and very few people are met with, the only vehicles being the 
picturesque covered bullock-carts. 
