NOTES. 
51 
On the way back to our camp, beside the roadside rock-pool, I 
turned aside to examine one of those “ gal-geval ” with drip-ledges 
which are so characteristic of old Ceylon. The roof was nearly 
covered with mason-wasps’ nests. 
Early the next day (21st) we started for Suriyawewa, distant two 
“ gaw,” i.e ., eight miles. Along this part of the road the leading cart 
was twice upset, the track usually becoming very difficult at the 
approach to a village. At Beddewewa I was told that the villagers 
had no water, and were compelled to travel 1J mile to Suriyawewa, 
where I saw them straining the muddy remnant of the nearly 
exhausted tank-water through cloths into their chatties to keep out 
the larger foreign particles and also the water leeches which abound 
here. We were conducted to a dry spot under a “ palu ” tree in the 
bed of the tank, where we outspannedin fine weather. Whilst stand¬ 
ing under the tree a red-headed, black and white streaked hairy 
caterpillar fell upon the back of my neck, producing a disagreeable 
numbing effect, rather like a stiff neck. At a subsequent stage of the 
journey I came upon what looked, in profile, exactly like a patch of 
fur upon a dead tree trunk. Closer inspection revealed an assembly 
of gregarious hairy caterpillars packed together in a single layer, 
touching each other at all points like the pieces of a mosaic. The 
size of the patch would be about 15 inches long and 9 inches wide 
(estimated). Near the same place I came upon an analogous assem¬ 
blage of immature dark gray tree-bugs. This diurnal assembling of 
immature forms protected by their nauseous properties is evidently 
a biological fact of some significance. 
Alas, for our camp in the bed of the tank under the palu tree ! In 
the afternoon clouds gathered and a downpour of rain commenced, 
which continued far into the night, converting the thirsty tank into 
a well-filled reservoir, the water rising to the axle-trees of the carts, 
out of which one stepped in the morning into an unsought leech- 
ridden bath knee-deep. If a bare foot were placed upon the grass 
at the edge, it was instantly and severely stung by black ants. It 
seems that this was the first great shower of the season, and we found 
afterwards that it was quite local. As soon as the bulls could be 
found next day we left for Weliwewa (3 miles), the track being partly 
under water, and after making inquiries at the school-house there, 
went on two miles to Mihigahajandura, where we were accommo¬ 
dated for the night at a disused dispensary. 
At Kumbukwewa, a mile further on, the tank contained the usual 
muddy residue thickened by a green scum and undrinkable. The 
drinking water was obtained from a hole in the centre. This drought 
at the end of November is unusual; by this time the village tanks 
should be full of water. The next village, three miles on, is called 
Auriyapelessa, with (at this time) a nearly dry tank and a noble 
gal-kanda towering at one end of it. Another half mile brought us 
to the Kudawewa junction, where the road branches off to the right 
