C o l/fig

PRE FAC E .

H E first Gui de to the C olombo M useum for the useof v is itors was compiled by Mr . Amyrald Haly in1886 a second , abridged edi ti on of i t was printed in1895.

The present issue may be regarded as an enlarged third edi tionhaving the additional advantage of i l lustrations .Most of the principal obj ects wi l l be found mentioned in the

text . O ne rather important omission may be noted here . Amongthe examples of Tamil j ewel le ry referred to on page 17, attentionshould have been directed to the Thal i, the marri age emblem ofthe Tamil race

,which is worn round the neck mounted upon a

more or less e l aborate necklace .The col lection of rocks and mineral s has been entirely re

arranged and great ly augmented by the D irector of the MineralS urvey, Mr . A . K . C oomaraswamy , B . Sc . ,

who has kindly writtenthe account of the rocks and mineral s of C eylon for thi s Guide(see pageIn the compilati on of: the re st of the Guide I have had the

ass istance of the Museum staff,more particularly Mr . Gerard A .

Jo seph,S ecretary and L ibrari an Mr . H . M . G unasekara,Assistant

L ibrarian ; and Mr . H . F. Fernando, Taxidermist .

ARTHU R WIL L E Y,

Februa ry 9 ,1905. D irector,C olombo M useum.

A G U IDE T O T H E

C O L L E C T IO NS IN

T H E C OLOM B O M U SE U M .

INTRODU C TIO N .

H E col l ections of obj ects of antique,l ocal

,and general

interest which are exhibi ted in the C olombo Museumare intended to il lustrate sol ely the products of human

ingenuity and cultivation, and the forms of. nature as mani festedin the Island of C eylon and i ts dependencies . With few exceptions,w hich are specially noted where they occur

,nothing is show n in

the gal lerie s which has not been found in the country or i n thesurrounding seas .O wing to considerations of space on the ground floor

,the

vari ous Buddhi stical,E thnographical

,and Archaeologica l exhibi ts

are not arranged in such a str i c tly systematic manner as could bedes ired .

The Zoological co l lections occupy the upper floor of the Museum .

The Mineral Gallery is s i tuated at the back of the main bui lding .

If reference be made to the ground plan of the Museum it wi llbe seen that the rooms to the right of the entrance hal l are assignedto the L ibrary and Reading Room . T he L ibrary contains anexhaustive assemblage of books bearing directly or indi rectly uponthe rel igion, agriculture, archaeol ogy ,and natural history of C eylon .

There i s al so a valuable col l ection of native l iterature in theform of ola Manuscripts, relating in one form or another chi efly toB 105—04

2

the Buddhist S cr iptures . These documents are wri tten inS inhalese characters by hand with a pointed iron s ty lus, uponp roperly prepared s l ips of palm-l eaves cal l ed “ 01a

,

” and are composed e ither in S anskri t, in Pal i , or in E lu ,

the pure S inhaleselanguage .The ola l eaves which are employed for the transcri ption of

the S inhalese texts are made from the fan -shaped fronds of theTalipot Palm (Corypha umbraeulzfera ) , which grows pri ncipal lyi n the Kandyan D istricts ; those adapted for Tamil usage byschool chi ldren and others are common ly made from the simi larlyshaped leaves of the Palmyra Palm (B ora ssuswhich i s e special l y abundan t in the northern parts of the I sland .

The Palmyra O las are narrower,thicker

,and less pl iabl e than

the Tal ipo t O las .The manuscripts are often consul ted by Buddhi st priests and

other readers who frequent the L ibrary, and may be inspected , i fdesired , on appli cat ion being made to the L ibrarian .

CE NTRAL H AL L .

The first case to mee t the eye of the visitor entering the Museumi s that which i s placed under the archway before the main s taircase . It affords a character i sti c display of images of G autamaB uddha. These figures are executed in brass

,bronze, wood , and

ivory,and they represent the Founder of Buddhism (who lived

about the fifth century B .C .) in three pr incipal atti tude s— sedent,erect, and recumbent . The head is generally surmounted by afive- rayed emblem cal l ed “

sirispota,” which symbol izes the sacred

flame .O n the top of the case there i s a l arge wooden dagaba or rel ic

case . The anci ent dagabas at Anuradhapura and elsewhere areimmense S tructu res supposed to have been erected over variousrel ics of Buddha and hi s di sciples . Represen tations of the dagabaon a small scale

,in wood

,metal

,and ivory, are commonly used as

emblems or as rel iquar i es,j ust as the smal l effigies of Buddha are

portable copies of the gigantic statues w hich are scatte red aboutthe country .

The lower portion of thi s case contains, on the front side , a

selecti on of M atara Jewellery, dating,at least with regard to thedesigns, from the Dutch period (1655—1796 The co l l ectioncomprises necklaces

,brooches

,hair ornaments, &c . Most of the

pieces are pa ru res of the so - cal led Matara diamonds (zi rcons) ,w hi te sapphi res

,and black tourmal ines

,in a si lver or si lver-gi l t

setting, manufactured by native j ewe l lers at Matara, Gal le, andC o l ombo .

( 3 )

O n the other si de of this table case there i s a miscellaneousdisplay of Tamil si lve r waist-bands

,charms , a M udaliyar

’

s dresssword , &c .

Products of the Palmyra Palm— Th is palm grow s in thelow- lying dry parts of the Isl and . There are extensive nativeplantations in the Northern Province

,especi al ly in the Jafina

Peninsula and the outly ing isl ands. I t shares w i th the C ocoanu tPalm and the Date Palm the distinction of provid ing moreserviceabl e commoditi es for the use of man than any other singleSpecies i n the vegetable kingdom . As already mentioned , theleaves are empl oyed in the manufactu re of olas ; they are alsoused for fences

,thatching

,fans

,mats

,hats

,baskets

,water balers,

and umbrel las .The fruits ripen in the months of August and S eptember,when

they fall to the ground , and are sometimes eaten raw,but more

general ly roasted [W. Ferguson] . They vary in quali ties ofcolour

,smell , taste, and shape . From the fleshy part of the fru it

a sweet farinaceous j el ly i s p repared,cal l ed Palmyra Pu l p or

punatoo .

” The nuts are sown under l oose sandy soi l , and thevery young subterranean sapl ings

,after being c l e aned and dr ied ,

yield the Palmyra Flour .Palmyra Toddy is prepared from the sap of the flower buds,

which are tapped by the toddy drawers during the months ofNovember and December

,the rainy season of the Northern

Province .

Sugar or “ jaggery is prepared from sweet toddy, t .e.,from the

palm j uice which has been prevented from undergoing fermentation by coating the inside of the toddy receive r with l ime orchunam .

”

O n the top of the case there are models of a Jafi'

na bungalowwith Palmyra Roofing, a shelter for watchers in the p addy fields .a manger, and a pl atform for grain .

The Palmyra Palm is dioecious, i .e. ,the mal e and female flowers

are on difierent trees . In a pl antation half the trees wi l l be maleand half female . The femal e tree yie lds superi or timber and agreater quanti ty of toddy than the male tree .

The mode l of the Palmyra Palm and other arti cl es in thi s casewere presen ted by S ir W . C . T wynam,

Commercial Products — U nti l 1880coffee was the stapl e exports ince the Bri ti sh occupation . During the Dutch administrati onthe Government held a monopo ly of the cultivati on of cinnamon ,bu t this industry i s fast di sappearing under competition w ithothe r countrie s . The C innamon Garden s of C olombo are notedfor the extreme rar i ty of the cinnamon shrubs , who l e plantation s

( 4 )

of which have been removed during the past ten years to makeroom for bui lding purposes .From 1880to 1886C eylon passed through a financial cri si s in

consequence of the fai lure of the coffee trees, w hich w ere destroyedby a fungoid disease caused by an organism named H emi lez

’

a

va sta tm’

x, for which no cure could be found . Dur ing thi s timecinchona and tea planting came into being

,and C ey l on i s now

chiefly famous throughout the wor l d for the excel l ence of i ts tea .O ther products of importance are cacao

,cinchona

,cardamoms,

and rubber .More than sixty varieties of ri ce or paddy are grown in the

I sland, al l of w hich,with one exception(the vari ety call ed el-virequire more or l es s continual irrigati on .

. Another grain of great importance to the poorer natives i s thatwh i ch is cal l ed mill et or “ kurakkan (E leus ine command ) . Thisi s grown on w aste l ands cal led “ chena

,

” a corruption of theS inhal ese w ord hena,” meaning ground prepared for cul tivationat interval s of several yearsby the cutting and burning of j ungle .The arecanut i s the frui t of the Areca Palm ,

the tal l slenderstems of which afford a p l easing contrast with the unending grovesof cocoanut palms . It i s used for chewing with the bete l l eaf, andalso has some medic inal value .Native tobacco i s extensively cu ltivated in various parts of theIsland .

O n the top of the case are specimens of the gum of the cashew orcaj u tree (Ana ca rdium occidenta le) , a common tree yi elding anedible nut , but not endemic, having, i t i s thought, been introducedfromBrazi l by the Po rtuguese ; and the resin of the tree cal l edhal in S inhalese (Va ler ia a cumiua ta ) .

Products ofthe Cocoanut Palm— The obj ects exhibited in thiscase have on the whole a fami l iar homely appearance, and beare loquent te stimony to the w orl d -wide importance of the tree uponwhich

,i n the first instance

,the weal th of the Isl and largely

depend s . Almost every par t of the tree subserves some usefulpurpose

,and it s general commercial value far exceeds that of the

Palmyra Palm . I t begins to bear fruit at about the tenth year,and a single tree may y i el d about seventy nuts annually . I t i smonoecious

,13.e. , male and female flowers are on the same tree

,so

that every tree in a plantation wi l l be ferti l e .Most compounds of bungalows in C olombo are planted with

cocoanut palms, w hich can onl y be cut dow n by tenants uponpayment of ten rupees for each tree .The hu sk of the frui t y ields coir fibre, the shel l can be u sed for

drinking vessels,bowls often handsomely carved, spoons , charcoal ,

( 5 )

&c . The kernel is l argel y used in cookery , being grated fine byan instrument cal led a cocoanut scraper, after which milk canbe expressed from it ; w hen dried in the sun i t i s know n as copra,from which oi l i s extracted, the residue being used as cattl e food .

The leave s are p laited to form cadjans for thatching roofs, al sobaskets ; and the trunk y ields good timber . The young frui t,call ed “ kurumba,” furni shes food and d rink . The sap of theunopened flower suppl ies toddy , arrack , and jaggery .

The dr ied frond of tlie palm i s twisted into a bundle and usedas a torch . These torches are often employed for purposes ofi l l umination on festival occasions , being known as chulu l ights ,a corruption of the S inhalese word huluatta . Torches are al sofurni shed by the spathes of the flowers, cal led kolapuw a .

” Themidribs of the l eaflets are ti ed into bundles and form exce ll entbesoms

,cal led “ ekel” brooms

,a corruption of the Tami l word

ireku,” meaning the midrib of a palm leaf .

The preparation of coir fibre i s an important industry in theWestern and S outhern Provinces . The fol lowing account takenfrom Dr . Shortt

’

s Monograph of the C ocoanut Palm appl iesequal ly to the methods in u se in C ey lon as to the distr icts in India

,

to w hich he refers more particularly“ The husks, removed from the nuts, are col l ected and throw n

into pits containing water to soak,and kept there t il l decompo

si tiou sets in .

”

[A long the railway from C olombo to Gal l e manyportions of the backwaters and estuar i es are fenced in for thispurpose ] “ The coir, w hen taken out of the pi t, i s beaten withs tout sticks to break up the adhesion and free the fibre fromimpuri t ies . Next i t i s hand-rubbed ” and subsequentlyroll ed into l oose pads of about a finger ’

s thickness p reparatory tobeing twisted into y arn by the palms of the hands .In the bottom she lf i s

"

show n the apparatus empl oy ed in thedisti l lation of arrack

,and on the top of the case there is a simi lar

apparatus in native pottery .

Fisheries and T ransport .— Many of the models in this case

were made for the C hicago E xhibi tion of 1893.

O n the top shelf are shown model s ofa bul lock cart, a Kandyangrain store

,fish traps, a rattan bridge , and a chekku ” or oil mil l

for expressing oi l from copra and for the manufacture of gingel lyoi l . The chekku consi sts of a huge mor tar sunk deeply into theground and made of stone in the Western Province , or of tamarindw ood in the No rth-C entral Province in this a heavy pestl erevolves , being w orked by a horizontal l ever dr iven round by abul l or a pair of bul ls . A man usual ly s i ts on the l ever to increas ethe weight of the pe stle .

O n the second she lf there are more models of carts andhackeries, a mud house , and a large native sai l ing craft cal led adhoneyfi

’

O n the third shelf there are model s of kattumarams , aNegombo

canal “ padda” boat, and a boat used in the Pearl Fishery w i threpresentations of the crew and divers . The white man in thestern holding a susp icious looking bottl e in a compromis ing attitudei s the doc tor preparing a dose ofmedicine .O n the last shelf there are model s of outrigge r boats, fishing and

passenger boats, a double canoe, and a river raft . There i s also aset of chank shel ls ( T urbinella pyr um) and several r ings cu tfrom thi s she l l . The chank fi shery at Jafina has been animportant source of revenue . Dur ing some years as many asthree mill ions of these shel l s have been exported annual ly toC alcutta, where they are used fo r the manufacture of templecouches and of chank j ewellery whi ch i s destroyed at funeral s .O ther noteworthy exhibits on this shel f are a pearl diver’s coi rbasket whi ch has been actual ly in use

,presented by J . Hornell

,

E sq. , Mar ine Biologi st, and a pearl dive r’s s inking stone fromthe Pearl Fishery of 1904, presented by the Hon . Mr . E . F . im

Thurn, C . B . ,

then L i eutenant -Governor .The chank shell s and rings were presented by S ir William

T wynam.

Obj ects from the M aldive Islands—The Maldive Isl ands arean archipelago of coral atol l s inhabi ted by a Mohammedan popul ation ruled by a S ultan of anci ent l in eage , who pays annual tributeto the C eylon Government . The Maldivians a re an ar tisti cpeopl e

,the commonest articles in daily use being el egantly shaped ,

carved,and lacquered . They make u se of E uropean glassware and

earthenware,but protect thei r di shes and p lates and glasses “ i n

boxes or cupholders of the most elegant designs and elaboratecarving and colouring. Thei r boats are al so elaborately decoratedwhen new . O n S tate festivals the cap i tal , Malé, presents a mostgay appearance

,the roofs of the houses being covered with richly

coloured cloths,and al l the streets profusely decorated w ith

bunting and curiou s model s of modern steam vessel s and l i ttlekiosks furn i shed wi th chess tables

,the w hole being bril l iantly

i lluminated at night, when the S ul tan , amidst a profusion of fireworks

,and preceded by his band , vi si ts the numerous mosques

[A . Haly] .The Maldivi an sea-going sail ing vessels, cal l ed buggalow s , are

o ften to be seen in C o l ombo Harbou r, and the view from the endofthe breakw ater of one of these boats entering the harbour duringthe no rth -east monsoon is highly pi cturesque .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

R IC E M E AS URE . P L AT E B O X . B O T T L E B O X .

( Ummcle) l l t in /let . )

M E DIC IV E B O X FL O W E R B O X INK B O X

( Ilecykl, i nches

M AL D IVIAN L AC QU E R E D BO X E S .

T o mowp agc

7

The model of a ship with a mat sai l i n C ase VI . represents thekind of boat used for traffic between the numerou s islands of theMaldive group . The models in C ase VI I I . were presented by theSul tan of the Maldives

,and do not include a copy of the typical

Maldivian buggalow ,w hich i s bui l t on character i stic l ine s unlike

anything shown i n these cases . In C ase VI I I . there are two finelyl acquered drums

,spears

,and musical instrumen t s . In C ase VI .

the chess boards, Spinning tops, stands for lace pil lows, Nautilusshel l Spoons

,weighing scal es

,and nautical instruments are

among the more noteworthy obj ects exhibited .

The lac employed in decorating the fancy boxes, di sh covers,drums, sticks , spears , and stands is imported into the Maldives fromIndia . The patterns into whi ch i t i s worked , as wel l as the designsfol lowed in wood and stone carving (see below, MaldivianTombstones) , appear to be exclusively Maldivian .

Many of the obj ects in C ase VI . were presented by H . C . P. Bel l ,E sq. , Archaeologi cal C ommissioner . The rest formed partof

,a co l l ecti on of Maldivian article s exhibited at the World ’s

C olumbian E xposit ion at C hicago in 1893, and were presentedby Sultan Ibrahim Noorudin Iskander, S ul tan of the Maldive sfrom 1882 to 1893.

M asks and M usical Instruments — Masks are used in plays ,masquerades

,and devil -dancing . The i r invention is attri buted to

the god of curiosities . Those representing vari ous diseases aresaid to be employ ed by devil -dancers to exercise the devi l s whooccasion the sickness . Their construction appears to be basedupon the principl e of eradi cating di sease from the system by thehomoeopathic method of counterfe it pre sentments .In spite of thei r grotesque character and of the fact that they can

be made to order at the present day,these masks possess a profound

interest as affo rding a clue to the or igin of the ancient masks usedin the Greek plays . The O ri ental masks of the demons have beenregarded as the prototypes of the Birds of Ari stophanes, theGiant s of Pol lux

, and the frightfu l forms of L ucian [ U pham] .“ The mask is the type of the Metempsychosis, the great pivot ofO riental doctri ne

,exhibiting to the spectator, scenical ly , the

changes and forms w hich in different stages of mundane existenceattach to the vi tal principl e . H ad masks originated withthe Greeks, i t i s fair to conclude that, ins tead of such frightfulspecimen s which abound in eve ry museum

,they would have given

the human form as they have beautiful ly embodied it in thei rpainting and sculpture hence the physiognomical character of themasks may be said to decide their origin and l ocal ity to the E ast ”

[ U pham]

( 8 )

The Maha Kol a S ann i Yaka,or Yaksha

,represented by the

composi te mask in the centre of the case and again over the top ofC ase is the great Demon of Fatal Di seases

,all of which are

attributed directly to devi l i sh derangements of the three humours,

wind,phlegm

,and bile .

The G opolu, or G 0pola Yaka, i s the Demon of C attle , and al lcattl e s ickness is supposed to proceed from him . He is representedwith horns and tusks and a garment of l eaves .The Gara, or Garra Yaka, i s the demon who possesses newly

buil t houses, and before a hou se can be final ly occupied a ceremony called Gara Yaka Maduwa is general ly performed . Thi sceremony i s presumably equi valent to the E uropean housewarming .

S liniyama or H uniyama i s the art of sorcery, bewitching byspell s and incan tations . The word is sometimes angl ici zed intoH ooniyan,

thi s being the name given to evi l s inflicted by a manupon his neighbour or enemy by the agency of charms . InH ooniyan charms a smal l image of w ax or wood i s made to representthe person whose death or inj ury i s desired .

“ A few hai rs ofhi s head

,some chippings of hi s finger nail s,and a thread or

tw o from a cloth worn by him , and sometimes a handful of sandfrom a place on which he has left hi s footprint

,are required .

” Theimage i s then submitted to a ceremony cal l ed Jiwama endowingwith l ife ”

) performed by a K at tadiya or sorcerer, who reci tesmystical w ords over i t . Nail s made of a composi ti on of five differentmetal s— gold

,si lve r, C opper, tin , and lead— are driven into the

image through the j oints, the heart , and the head, and the nameof the vi ctim is marked on the image , which i s then bur ied in theground under a sti l e or at some other spot where the victim isl ikely to pass over i t . The passing over, or Panna-w ana-wa, i sessential to the success of the charm. T

This H ooniyan charm , or Sunniyan Yaka, as the specimen i slabel l ed in the case

,i s of particular in terest on account of i ts w orld

w ide appl ication ih the practice of w i tchcraft .O n the top of the case, beside s more demon masks, there are

large masks cal l ed the King and the Queen . These are u sed in thenative masquerades cal l ed Kolama .

The low er portion o f the case contains a co l l ection ofmusicalinstruments. The drums are of various kinds

,the more charac

ter istic being the flat drum or timbrel cal l ed Rabana ; thebobbin -shaped drum call ed U glikk iya or U dak iya ; T ammettama,

T his Kola Sanni Yaka w as presented by M r . Justice H . L .Wendt .T T he account given above of the H ooniyan charm is taken from an article

“ O n Demonology and Witchcraft in C eylon,

” by Dandris de S ilva G ooneratne.

M ndaliyar, in the Journ. Ceylon R . As iat . Soc . , vol. IV. , 1865—6, pp . 1—117.

( 9 )

tw o drums fastened together as kettl e drums Demala-beré, Tami ltom -tom ; Yak-beré, demon tom- tom . The Rabana i s beaten byw omen seated in a group round it

'

on occasions of fami ly rej oi cing .

Among the stringed instruments are to be noted theWénawa o rVina, the Indian lute, an instrument with a good twang, theresonator consi sting of a cocoanut shel l wi th a skin stretchedacross i t . The B andarinha and Viol a

,presented by H . Holsinger,

E sq. , are used by the of C ey lon to accompany theirL u sitanian dances .There are al so a coupl e of marionette s

,employed in a form of

en tertainment much in vogue among the S inhal ese .O ther exhibits in the C entral Hal l i nclude two stands ofK andyan

spears with lacquered shafts ,together with Kandyan blunderbus sesand proce ssional fans .O n the top of C ase VI I I . there i s an interesting rel ic of the early

confli cts between the Bri ti sh and the Kandyans in the form of aBr iti sh drum said to have been captured by the latter .O n a smal l stand at the foot of the staircase there are some

antique cannon bal l s,probably of Portuguese origin, which were

unearthed at M edamahanuw ara,near K andy

,a place which i s

noted for the exi stence of a cave in which the last K ing of Kandytook refuge after hi s fl ight from the Briti sh, and where he wascaptured in 1815.

M E DIE VAL ROOM .

C AS E I X .

Ivory Carvings— Thi s case contains a var i ed and valuable

col l ecti on of obj e cts made pr incipall y of ivory . The specimensw hich are worthy of attenti on include fan handles in ivory andebony, combs, panel s, dagabas, &c .

The large boxes are carved and shaped after Dutch designs .The art of making the compressible scent sprinklers i s

said to be a secret confined to one family of ivory workersin the Kegal la D i strict . The l i ttl e figures of the last King ofKandy

, tw o of hi s Min i sters or Adigar s , and the C hief Pri estare sai d to be contemporary portrai t s . Sri Wikrama Raj a S inhaw as the last king of the Suluw ansa or L ower Dynasty . Hecame to the throne of Kandy in 1798 and reigned unti l 1815,when he w as deposed chiefly on account of his cruelty . The ivorystatuettes of Ehelapola and hi s wife are al so of considerable interest .E helapola became First Adigar of the King of Kandy in 1812 . He

T he M echanics ofC eylon are a class ofartisans,shoemakers,tailors,blacksmiths,craftsmen ofPortuguese descent, Speaking a lingo of their own, Por tuguese wi than admixture ofT amil and S inhalese. Of. M r . C . M . Fernando’

s article on the

M usic ofC eylon in Journ. C eylon R . As iat . Soc . ,vol . XIII , 1893—1894, pp . 183—189

0 105—04

( 10 )

was also D i ssave of Sabaragamuwa . Having di sobeyed an order toproceed to Kandy hi s family was impri soned by order of the king,and subsequently hi s chi ldren were beheaded in front of the MahaVishnu Dewal e at Kandy and h i s wife was drowned in the tank atB ogambra, near Kandy . Thi s incident i s know n as the E helapolaTragedy

,and const itute s a favour ite theme on the modern

S inhal ese stage .O n the lowest shelf of thi s case there are some more ivory

statuettes of Buddha,ivory flutes, and a ri chly carved rattle

mounted on a lacquered stick .

There i s al so a handsome ivory U dakiya (without skins) l ent byP. E . Pieri s , E sq. , and an antique ivory cigar mouthpiecewith receptacl e for an extra cigar

,presented by Mr . E . R . G oone

ratne,Gate M udaliyar .

The quaintly- shaped and lacquered pi l l boxes and the ola bookcovers with the signs of the zodiac de se rve notice .The ivo ry dagabas are rel iquari es or karanduw as, the dome beingscrewed upon the base so that it can be removed and a cavi tydisclosed in which any small obj ect of veneration or votive offeringcan be deposi ted .

C AS E X .

Besides the numerous examples of Kandyan embossed metalwork which are exhibited in thi s case , the most striki ng obj ecti s a si lver model of the shr ine containing the Dalada or Tooth ofBuddha

,the reputed original of which i s preserved in the Dalada

Maligawa at Kandy . This famous T ooth Relic has play ed animportant part in the pol i tical hi story of C eylon . I t i s esteemedby Buddhi sts as the pal l adium of the country and symbolizes theinvi olabi l i ty of the Buddhist re l igion . It i s related that the sacredre lic was or iginal ly rescued by the sage Khema from the greatteacher ’s funeral pyre at Kus inagara and given by him to Brahmadatta, K ing of Kal inga, about years ago . I t was eventuall ybrought to C eylon from S outhern India by a B rahman Pri ncessof Kal i nga, concealed i n the folds of her hai r, about the years310—313A .D . , during the re ign of S r i M egahavarna a t Anuradha

pura, where i t was w ont to be publ ic ly exposed on sacred daysw i th gorgeous ceremon ie s . When the rel i c was first broughtto C ey lon its adventu res were recorded in a work cal led theDha tuwansa or C hronic l e of the Tooth

,wr i tten in E lu

,the classica l

l anguage of the S inhal e se . The tooth i s said to represent the l eftupper canine or eye - tooth . The legend runs that after al l attempts which have been made to destroy the sacred embl em

,i t

has reappeared resting upon a lotus flow er,where i t now repose s .

Parakrama B ahu I. , surnamed the Great, buil t a temple for i t at

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

( 11 )

Pulastipura, the modern Polonnaruw a, be tw een the y ears 1190and1195. About the year 1246A .D. Vij aya Bahu I II . enshrined it atDambadeniya

,whence some forty years later B huvaneka Bahu I .

removed it to Y apahu . Thence i t fol lowed the for tunes of theS uluw ansa Dynasty to successive capital s

,Kurunegala

,Gampol a,

and Kotte near C olombo .

In the year 1560A .D . i t i s said to have been captured by thePortuguese and taken to Goa

,where it was pounded in ’a mortar

and consumed in a brazier,but Phoenix- l ike i t rose again from

its ashes and i s now at Kandyfi“The vici ssitudes of the Tooth Rel i c are matters of Speculation

and controversy, but i ts po liti cal importance as a nationalpal ladium during the dynasti c peri ods seems to be beyonddoubtThe model here shown was exhibited at C hicago in 1893.

The same shel f contains a handsome display of si lverware,

amongst which may be special ly noted the large s i lver dagabaexhibited at the C olonial and Indian E xhibi ti on of 1886; tw o

l arge boxe s of beaten sil ver embossed with de iti es and scrol lw ork ; a large spher i cal si l ver box with intri cate design in highrelief an elegant S i lver chatty ; a si lver chal ice for sandalw oodand a silver s cen t diffuser of the kind used for spr i nkl ing guestsat wedding ceremonies and for sp raying cofiins in funeral processions . There i s al so a finely worked brass dagaba . The leaf-shapedtassel s hanging round the top of the dagabas repre sent the leave sof the sacred B o- tree (Ficus relz

’

giosa) .

O n the next shel f be low a l arge ser ies of brass bowls cal l edchembu” i s shown . S ome of them are further adorned by theinlaying of al ternating stri p s of beaten silver and copper .The bottom shelf contains further examples of K andyan

brasswork, especial ly betel tray s and rice tabl es, prominentamong them being an antique Kandyan r ice tabl e presented byA . K . C oomaraswamy , E sq. , Director of the Mineralogical S urveyof C eylon .

The upper shelves of the case contain on one side a se t ofembos sed si lver and brass p lates

,and a pair of carved si l ver ola

covers with ol a manuscript descriptive of one of the Jatakas orBirths of Buddha .

O n the other side there are some exampl es of wood carving,a carved . calamander cocoanut scraper from Panadu re, betweenC olombo and Gall e sweetmeat moulds or j aggery boards gameboards cal led “

chonka boards,” in which the seed s of ‘the

Cf. M emoir on the H istory of the T ooth Relic of Ceylon, by J. G erson da

C unha , 1875.

( 12 )

“o l inda (Abrus p reca tor z

’

us) or any other suitable seeds orshel l s are placed i n tw o depressions at the ends, and the play ershave to make the circui t of the board from pit to p it along thesides wi thout occupying the same hol e at one time . The playerw ho gets the seeds home first wins .O n the end-wall of the case there are some carved wooden

sweetmeat pats . Hanging from the top of the case down themiddl e i s a richly embroidered s ilk cl oth said to have been wornby the wife of Mol l igoda

,the S econd Adigar of the l ast King of

Kandy .

C AS E S X I . AND X IV .

Embroidered C loths — The narrow wal l case contains examplesof dress worn by the old ari stocracy of the l ow country .

In the centre i s a hat of pecul iar shape,somewhat boat-shaped,

cal l ed “ Jagalatta T oppi ya, used by Raj apakse , C hief M udaliyar

of Mahabadde, 1701 AD .

There i s al so a M udaliyar’s dress sword and a sword w ith hi l t

and scabbard of r ichly carved tortoise-shel l dating from the endof the 18th century, l ent by Tudor Raj apakse , E sq.

O n the top shelf there are some Dutch swords .In the case corre sponding to thi s on the O pposi te side of theroom (C ase XIV . ) some further exampl es of woven cloths areshown , incl uding a handsome old embroi dered Kandyan betelbag, which was forme r l y carr i ed slung at the side from theshoulder . There are al so some gold embroidered C hetty costumes .

C AS E X II .

This case contains an assortmen t of antique obj ects in brassand bronze , among the more i nteresting of wh ich are threeS inhal ese wate r cl ocks ; cocoanu t oi l lamps ; e lephant bel l skaranduw as (dagabas) ; Pattini bangles

,hol low armlets and

anklets with a s lot along one sid e and pel le ts inside,used in

dance s on fest ival occasions such as peraheras , in honour ofPattini Deviyo, the godde ss of chasti ty epaulettes, al so worn bydancers .The Sinhalesewater clock i s a clepsydra, c onsi sting of a copper

bowl , of l arger and smal ler s izes, with a smal l pinhole in thebottom and w i th o r without si lver datum marks let in at thesides . The bowl i s set floating in a clay water chatty

,the water

gradual ly entering through the pinhole aperture until a datuml evel i s ' reached, and eventual ly the bowl S inks . In the largerof the “clocks shown with graduations the water reaches thel evel of the highest datum mark in exactly forty-eight minutes .T he S inhalese hour or peya consists of twenty-four minutes,

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

( 14 )

T he bottom shel f of the case contains some more metal bowls,

trays , and goblets .The p i cture on the wal l over the case i s a templ e drawing

represen ting an incident in the l ife of Buddha .

C AS E XV .

A porti on of this case con tain s a number of Dutch boxes ,many of which , however, have been made in more recent times .They are made w i th different kinds of wood— satinwood

,cala

mander, and ebony— and are variously carved and inlaid withivory , brass, tortoi se-shell , and porcupine quil l s .The or iginal native wood carving has largely given way to

the manufacture of these articles and of ebony and cocoanute lephants . There i s al so show n here a w el l-executed carvingof a tortoi se i n calamander wood

,the most valuabl e wood in

C eyl on .

Besides the boxes there are some examples of carved combs andhairpins in tortoi se -shell and in horn .

O n the other side of the case some examples of paintedKandyan pot tery are shown . There are three classes of unglazedpottery in C eyl on , namely, the plain Village pottery, comprisingthe water chatties, cooking bow l s, and curry di shes of every-dayuse ; secondly , the painted pottery of Kandy ; and lastly, theG rotesque pottery of Matara, examples of w hich are p laced uponthe top of the case . This pottery possesses features of ethno

graphi c i nterest in spite of its grotesqueness i t i s made and soldchiefly during the time of the Dondra Fair in the summermonths .

C A S E X VI .

Kandyan Knives and Swords — Here are shown numerousswords and daggers used by the Kandyans during the later DynasticPeriod and sti l l worn on S tate occasions . Many of them are highlyornate at the hi l t

,and the scabbard and base of the blade are often

richly damascened . The handle i s frequently carved out of ivory,horn

,and black coral

,and the sheath in some cases i s covered with

carved tor toi se -shel l . At the base of the blade in a few instancesthe figure of a lion in brass i s l et in to the steel . This seems to beof the nature of herald ry .

S ome of the dagger sheaths contain in addi tion to the dagger areceptacl e for a s ty lus for writing upon the o l a sl ip .

O n the top shel f there i s a set of Kandyan Village j ewelleryin the form of numerous brass and glass bangles and some oldDutch sw ords and powder-horns .O n the top of the case are some antique Spear heads .

( 15 )

T AB L E C AS E XVII .

A rather heterogeneous assortment of ancient odds and ends isprovi sional ly placed in thi s case

,gold and si lver fragments

,

beads, and gems from the ruined ci ti es of C eylon . The excavati onswhich have been carried on for many years under the di rect ion ofthe Archaeological C ommissi oner have not l ed to any sensati onaldi scovery of buried treasure . Such precious rel i cs as have beenunearthed have on the whole been disappointing so far as thei rintrinsic value i s concerned .

In the reverse half of this case there i s an ola horoscope and acopper sannas or deed convey ing a grant of land to a Kandyantempl e by the last King of Kandy . There i s al so shown anebony weighing lever, cal led T ulappadi in Tami l , sti l l used bytraders in the Vanni and Jafina, presented by J . P . L ewis , E sq. ,

C .C . S .

In the glass box over the case there are two old sw ords,with

S inhalese l egends dating from the years 1374 and 1416inscribedupon them . The inscriptions re l ate that the swords were presentedby the Rajas reigning during the years mentioned (1917 in theBuddhi st E ra 1374 in the C hristian E ra 1959 A.B . 1416AD .)in the town of Jayawardhanapura (the modern Kotte, which l iesin the outski rts of C olombo) to two members of an ari stocrat i cfami ly upon thei r appointment as general s . These interestingswords were presented to the Museum by Mr . C . M . Fernando ,C rown C ounsel .

T AB L E C AS E X VIII .

C ontaining a valuable col lection of coinswhich have at one t imebeen current i n C eylon . The coins fal l into tw o classes

,namely ,

the ancient S inhal ese currency,compr i sing the coins of the Kings

of C eylon ; and the fore ign coins introduced to thi s Isl and bytraders from the days of the Roman E mperors dow n to the e stablishment of Briti sh Rule . The devices on the coins of the S inhal eseK ings represent on the obverse the king standing, holding a l otusflower i n hi s r ight hand and a kind of sceptre, sometimes cal ledthe tri sul embl em

,of quest ionabl e significance , i n hi s l eft hand .

O n the reverse the same figure i s repeate d in a sitt ing atti tude w i ththe name of the king inscribed to the left of the figure in NagariS anskrit characters .I t has been a too common practice to forge counterfei ts of the

gol d co ins for the purpose of deceiving col lectors .The most ancient coins represented in the col lection are rectan

gul ar pieces of si lver with or w i thout figu res of animal s punchedupon them

,cal l ed E ldlings, which have been found dur ing the

excavati on of the ruined ci ti es .

( 16 )

Among the rarer S inhal ese dynasti c coins may be mentionedthe L i on C oin and the S etu Bul l C oin , examples of both ofw hich are exhibited . To these may be added the very rare goldL ankesw ara coi n of Vij aya Bahu

,lent by P . E . Pi eris , E sq. ,

C .C . S .

Among the foreign coins may be noted the Roman and Arabiancoins

,Venetian go ld sequins

,Portuguese si lver tangas or tangams ,

and gold S an Thome coin,the Dutch dukatoons and si lver and

copper stuivers, and chall i e s mi nted by various S tate s in the DutchC onfederation . S ome of the Dutch copper coins w ere actual lyminted i n C ey l on, at C olombo , Gal le , and Trincomalee . Theseare marked with the l etters C ,

G,and T

,respectively .

The establ i shment of the Dutch U n i ted E ast India C ompany(O stindische Vereenigde C ompagnie , i ndicated on the coins bythe monogram on the Is land of C eyl on date s from the year1655and lasted until 1802, when the I sl and w as formal ly ceded tothe Bri ti sh (w ho had occupied it in 1796) by the Treaty ofAmiens .The copper ingots i ssued by the Dutch, of the value of 453,

stuivers are a singular form of money .

The general name appl ied to the ancient S inhal ese coin s i smassa .

” They appear to date only from the year 1153 A .D . to1296A .D .

The common copper coins of the Dutch of smal l value werecall ed chall ies

,a corrupti on of the S inhale se wo rd “

salliya”

(pl ural sal l i meaning money or cash in general . The smalles tcoin now in use , value hal f a cent, i s s ti ll cal l ed “ tamba-salliya,”“ tamba ” meaning copper . The proper coi ns of the S inhal eseKing during the famou s captivi ty of Robert Knox (1659—1679 )were fanams of the size of a Spangle .

Anothe r interesting form of money i s afforded by the L arinsor Fish-hook money. These are sai d to have originated at a placecal l ed L ari or L ar is tan on the Persian Gulf . They were fo rmerlymade in the Maldive I slands

,and were al so in use in C eyl on in

Knox’s time, anybody being al lowed to make them . Portuguesecopper tangams w ere al so current .Further information on the ancien t coins of C eylon i s contained

in the wel l -known memoir by Professor T . W . Rhys David s “ O n

the Ancient C oins and Measures of C ey l on,

” publ ished in 1877inthe International Numismata O ri ental ia (L ondon, T riibner

The ancient beads, coins, and d i c e di scovered at Anuradhapura,Mihintale

,and elsewhere have been described and figured by

Mr . H . C . P . Be l l , C . C . S the Archaeological C ommiss ione r, in his

( 17 )

Fou rth Progress Report on the excavations at Anuradhapura andthe No rth -C entral Province (Sessional Papers,In the large glass shade over thi s case are shown numerous

anci ent images,mostly sedent figures of Buddha

,incl uding eight

thin gold images of Buddha, fi l l ed with clay,from Panduw as

Nuwara,and above these a simil ar gold figure from Ti ssamaharamaand gold and crystal dagabas from Anuradhapura . At each endof the cover inside there i s a bronze Buddha on a throne backedby a wel l executed arch cal led “ makara torana . These arecalled “ E nthroned Buddhas . ” The re are al so figures of Kri shnaplaying w i th a bal l , and of the goddess Pattin i , the l atter fromTrincomalee . O n the t0p of the case there i s a large seden tbronze Buddha of unique design in the attitude of teaching

,

holding a flower in the l eft hand . This was d iscovered twelvemi le s from Badul la al ong the new road to Batti cal oa

,and was

presented by G . F. K . Horsfal l,E sq. , i n 1876. O n e ither side of

thi s image there are two common vil lage coloured wood-carvings,

one representing a large cobra, the other Buddha seated upon thefolds of a cobra and protected by its expanded hood . The latteri s cal l ed a S erpent-canopied Buddha .

”

T AB L E C AS E X IX .

A se lection of si lverware occupi es the two halves of this case,and in the glass shade above there is a set of Tami l si lver bangles,anklets

,and toe r ings .

Besides some richly damascened Kandyan knives, embossedsi lver tobacco boxes, and Dutch rel ic in the form of a s ilver platepresented by a former Dutch Governor of C ey lon to the personnamed in the inscription

,the pr incipal obj ect in the case i s a pair

of handsome si lve r ola covers with bej ewel led button . Theyconsist of bars of wood painte d with dagaba devi ces on the underside and overlaid with sheets of beaten si lver .

T AB L E CAS E X X .

ExamplesofChetty,T amil, Sinhalese,and M oorish Jewellery.

The large go l d ornaments are represented here by si lver-gi l treplicas . C hetty” or “ C hitty” i s the name appl ied in India toal l members of the trading castes in the Madras Provinces . TheC olombo C hetties, a caste from Tinnevel ly, emigrated to C ey lonabout the middl e of the sixteenth century . Their language andcu stoms are Tamil .From an ethnographical point ofvi ew among the most interesting

obj ects in thi s case are the S inhalese naw aratna rings set withthe nine principal gems, or as near an approximation as i s possibleor can be afiorded. The nine gems stand for the nine planets( including sun and moon) , and the ring is worn as a correctiveD 105-04

( 18 )

for horoscopic purposes for example , i t i s w orn by a person bornunder an unfavourabl e star , and its constant usage i s supposed toavert disasters .

STO NE G AL L E RY .

Many remarkabl e remai ns of fal l en greatness , i l lus trating thestupendous grandeur of the ancient r eligiou s monuments ofC eylon during the palmy days of mil i tant Buddhism , are exhibitedin thi s gal lery . The statues, pil lars, friezes , and sl abs are carvedout of gneiss

,the country rock of C eylon , some of them , however,

consisting almost entirely of crystal line l imestone .

Among the more notable pieces are the three principal archaeol ogical treasures ofthe C ol ombo Museum mounted in position alongthe centre of the room . Facing the south w indow at the front endof the gal lery is a perforated carved slab

,4 feet 8 inches high ,

2 feet 10inches wide, and 7inches thick, known as the Yapahuwindow,

from Y apahu or Yapahuwa, a vi llage in the North -WesternProvince

,about twenty mile s north of Kurunegala . It consists

of a s ingl e block of gnei ss cu t into the semblance of a frame,whichsurrounds a composite hieroglyph consisting of forty-five ci rclesin five vertical rows j oined together i n a moni l iform pattern , eachcircle containing an embl ematic figure repeated on both sides ofthe stone . The matr ix of the slab between the carved portionsw as removed by the arti st who designed and executed this uniquetriumph of stone tracery . In the 13th and 14th centuri es therewas a royal palace at Y apahu, and the hal l of the palace waslighted by two of these tracery windows ofexquisit e workmanship .

We are told by Mr . F . H . Modder that one of these windows wasperfect in 1850

,but the other had fal l en and its fragments were

scattered around . The remaining one wou ld doubtl ess have soonshared i ts fate had not Mr . O ’

G rady, then Governmen t Agent ofthe North-Western Province

,removed i t to

Thence i t was transported to C olombo,and now o ccupies a

prominent place among the archaeological exhibits at the Museum .

”

The human figures in the lowest circles represent grotesqueman ikins, above these are nautch girl s, then an imals, some of w hichare provided with a trunk and appear to represent the fabulous“ gaja- sinha ” or elephant- l ion . The star-shaped radiating emblemsare the dharma-chakra symbo l s

,the w heel or c i rcle of the laws

and teaching of Buddha . The birds in the top row are thehansa or sacred birds

,usual ly represented by geese

,sometimes

by conventional representations of birds . *

For further rema rks quoted from an article by M r . John B ailey, who

explored the ruins in 1850, see the paper by M r . F . H . M odder on Ancient C itiesand T emples in the Kurunegala District Yapahuwa .

" Journ . C eylon R . Asiat S ocvol. XI I I . , 18 93, pp 97- 113.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

( 19 )

The next megal i th w hich claims attention is the colossal figureof a l ion cal led the L ion of Polonnaruwa . This re l i c of the pasti s exceptional l y valuable and interesting

,becau se there is a

S inhal ese inscrip tion on each side near the base giving the date andpurport of the monument . U pon i t w as placed the throne ofKingN issanka Mal la

,a C hakraw arti or Emperor of Kal inga lineage,

who w as the L ankeswara o r O verlord of L anka (C eylon) during theyears 1187—1196A .D .

The lion formerly stood in the C ounci l or Audience Hall of theK ing at Polonnaruwa, whence it was removed to the C ol omboMuseum about thirty years ago . The anci ent name of the city wasPulastipura, the modern name is T opaw ew a, meaning the tankwhere the ruined topes or stupas are . It i s

,however, commonly

known as Polonnaruwa an E lu t erm of doubtful derivationadopted by S ir Emerson Tennent (C eylon, vol . I I . , Theruins were re-discovered in 1820, and al l that remained of theAudience Hal l where the inscriptions were found were “ 48 largestone p i llars w i th carved capitals supported on a” stone platform

,

round the base of w hich are sculptured a row of l ions . ” Thegreat l ion-throne was lying almost entire ly buried at some distancefrom the Hall , and was set up with great di fficulty i t had probablybeen thrown out of the Hal l by the Tamil s when they tookPulastipura, and may formerly have stood between the inscribedpi l lars . ”The inscription on the l eft side of the l ion i s terminated by the

figure of a fish,a symbol of good omen .

The adventures of the l ion during its transport from Polonnaruwato C olombo are recounted by S irWilliamGregory (Au tobiography ,second edit . , 1894, p . who was at that time (1872—1877)Governor of C ey l on : E very mishap attended the transfer of thi shuge stone beast . Its first dray fel l to pieces beneath its weight .O n descending from the el evated ground where it stood the twoelephants a ttached to i t pu l led over-vigorously , and the d ray andthe l ion and the e lephants flew apart in di fferent directions . I thad then to be drawn over a difficult jungle path a distance . of

fifteen mile s from the main road ; but the elephants had nowlearned their business

,and these obstacles were surmounted . But

A facsimile of th e inscription on the left of the lion,w ith translation, i s

given by Professor T . W. Rhys Davids in his paper on“ Inscrip tions at the

Audience H all ofParakrama B ahu, Pulast ipura, C eylon, in the Indian Antiquary, vol.

‘

II., 1873,pp . 246-249 . Pulast ipura was the capital of C eylon fromt heend of the eighth to the beginning of the fourteenth century . PreviouslyAnuradhapura had been the capital for over a thousand years .

Pulastipura enjoyed its period ofgreates t magnificence during the long reign

of Parakrama B ahu I. , surnamed the G reat, in the latter half of the twelfthcentury, preceding the reign ofNissanka M alla .

( 20 )

when i t reached the high road the wors t of al l remained . Thewooden bridges, constructed to sustain a mode rate load ,were quiteunable to bear the combined weight of the l ion and the dray

,and

the banks were precipitous and deep . But this, too,was overcomeby digging out a slop ing passage to the bed of the river and anotheron the oppos ite s ide . The elephants with their immense strengthand sagacity sustained the strain of le tting down the l ion , andeasi ly drew it up again . Much of this took place in the soli taryj ungle , but when the inhabited regions were approached, the wholecountry turned out in amazement

“ The procession of el ephants,the lion decked w i th wreaths

and dowers,was a magnificent sight . The tom - tommer from eachvi l lage j oined the cor tege. The headman of the district askedpermission for his l i ttl e boy to ride the monster into Matale

,

whence he was to be conveyed by rai l to C olombo . The l i on nowstands calmly in the Museum

,and few know, or could understand

i f told, al l the cares i t caused and the excitement i t created. I ti s a most valuable archaeol ogical record

,and would have been

undoubted ly destroyed ere this had it not been removed .

”

The ri sk of destruction'

referred to by S ir Wil l iam Gregory inthe foregoi ng quotation is demonstrated by the fracture on the l eftside of the head

,which i s said to have been perpetrated by enter

pri sing burglars ignorant of the sol i d nature of dynasti c ar t whohoped to find treasure hidden within the penetral ia of the body .

From the base of the forefoo t to the crown of the head the l i onstands six feet .The third obj ect of d istinct ion i s an elaborately carved p il lar

which has been recently set up behind the great l ion . This i scal l ed the M edagoda P illar, and formerly stood in the Pattin iDewale at Medagoda, six miles below Ruanw ella

,in the Province

of Sabaragamuw a,no t far from Yatiyantota . An excel lent draw i ngof this pi l lar

,accompanied by a lucid description quoted below, i s

contained in the Report on the Kegal la D i strict of the Provinceof Sabaragamuwa

,by H . C . P . Bel l , E sq. , C .C . S . Archaeo logical

C ommissioner (S essional Papers, 1892 , p . The mono l i thmust original ly have been squared to 1 ft . 2 in . ,

the size i t assumesacross the l ion ’s breast

,l otus bosses, and capi tal fil let . R i sing

octagonal ly from the back of a broad-faced couchant l ion of con ‘

ventional type , with fri l led mane and raised tai l , the shaft sl idesgradual l y into the rectangular by a semi- expanded calyx moulding . Half way up re l ief i s given by a bordered fi l l et 2 in . inbreadth, slightly proj ecting, carved w i th a single flower patternrepeated round the pi l lar . From the fil l et depend on each facetwo concentric pearl -bead strings . A few inches above this

S T AT U E O F PARAKRAM A BAH U AT PO L O NNARU \VA .

T o h u e 1mm: 2 1

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

( 22 )

C AS E XX II I .A man and w oman of the Veddas , the aboriginal hunting caste o r

hi l l tr ib e of C eyl on . The bark -cloth bag hanging against the sideof the case i s made from the bark of the upas t ree, Antia r istox ica r ia ,

cal led “ riti in S inhalese, “metavil” i n Tamil

,belonging

to the same natural order (U rticaceae) as the Bread-frui t and Jakfrui t trees .The Veddas used to be an interesting race of forest haunting

nomads,but they are rapidly fal l ing vi ctims to civil ization

,

exchanging their ancient ski l l as bowmen and w oodmen for a moresordid if less precar ious exi stence dwindl ing towards extinction .

They are chiefly to be found in the Province of U va, but it i spossibl e to tramp through the Province from top to bottomw i thout seei ng a sign of a Vedda . O ccas ionally persons areparaded as Veddas, but when seen away from thei r naturalenvironment the effect must be pi tiful rather than pi cturesque .All the model s were executed by a l ocal model ler, Mr . R . G .

Andriesz .

C AS E X XIV .

Ancient B ronzes.— O h the top shelf a three-branched candela

brumfrom M unisseram, presented by Hon . Mr . F . R . S aundersbelow this a pair of goldv

p lated bronze curtain frames from Kottenear C olombo , l ent by P. E . Pi e ri s, E sq. , C .C . S numerous miniature bronze figures of gods and animal s from Dondra Head bronzelamps from M unisseram. O n the bottom shelf the central obj ect i sa l arge bronze K othali or drinking goblet, w i th spout fashionedafter the manner of an elephant ’s head and trunk, from Ratnapura,l ent by P. E . Pi eri s, E sq. also an ancient bronze tripod from Kurunegala bronze hansas or sacred birds from M unisseram a heavybronze Contemplation B ox with thirty compartments, some of

w hich contain a few coins and other offerings, presented by theRoyal Asiati c S ociety .

SOUTH VE RANDAH .

Passing through the doorw ay at the s ide of the Bronze C ase onto the S outh Verandah, a Portugese cannon dredged up i n theC olombo Harbour in 1888 i s an important rel ic of the Portugueseoccupation of the coun try . Here i s al so exhibi ted a pol ished p il larofC eylon gneiss from the Mahara quarries employed in the construction of the C olombo Breakw ater, presented by John Kyle,E sq.

Returning through the S tone Gall ery to the

WE ST VE RANDAHa number of inscribed stones wi l l be found , togethe r with tw o

or three Dutch and Portuguese tombstones . The work of collect "ing and col lating the numerous ancient inscr ipti ons scattered over

l’ E'

I’I G AM M ANA PIL L AR .

7'n Iuce 1mqe

( 23 )

the Island was properly organized dur ing the Governorship ofS ir Will iam Gregory, w hen Dr . P . Goldschmidt was appointedArchaeological C ommissioner to the Government of C ey lon in1874. His reports were publi shed as S essional Papers from 1875

unti l hi s death in 1877. Dr . Goldschmidt was fol lowed by Dr .

E dward Mul ler, who compil ed a valuable manual on “ AncientInscripti ons in C eylon i l lustrated by a separatequar to book of plates . Dr . Mul ler left C ey lon in 1881, and wassucceeded, after an interval , as Archaeo logical C ommissioner byMr . H . C . P. Bel l, under whose direction the work ofexcavation, discovery, and transcription has been continued from1890t o the present time .The great slabs placed against the back wal l of the verandah are

of interest on account of their antiqu ity and the charactersemployed . The first one , propped up lengthwise on the ground ,i s the o ldest inscription that has been discovered at Anuradhapura, from the Ruanw eli Dagaba. * It relates to the restorationof certain temple s during the reign of K ing Gaja Bahu (118—125

The upright slab next to the Ruanweli Slab i s known as theT issamaharama Slab, from Tissamaharama near Hambantota inthe S outhern Province . I t i s almost completely preserved

,and

according to Dr . Mul ler “ i s the fine st specimen we have of aninscription of the fourth century A .B .

"

T

Adj oining thi s sl ab i s a narrow flattened stone with an inscription on both faces . The inscription is headed on the obverseside by a symbol of the sun and on the reverse by a crescentrepresenting the moon , the sun and moon being the usual royalsigns . I t i s a grant of l and to a temple , and concludes (on thereverse si de) with a l ife-si ze figure ofa crow in sunk reli ef. Thi si s the Petigammana Pillar found half buried in a garden withina few miles of Gampola .1

Many of these inscribed pil lars dating from the tenth centurybear, at the top , engravings of the sun and moon as symbols o froyal ty [Rhys Davids] or eternity and , at the bottom,

the dog andcrow as symbols of instabi l ity [Mul ler] or meanness ; anyoneviol ating the property of the priesthood renders himself l iabl e tothe penal ty of being re-born in the low condi ti on of one of theseanimal s [Goldschmidt] . The transl ati on of the Pet igammanainscr iption , according to Mr . Bel l , ends with the usual curseAnyone who disputes thi s [grant w i l l be born] a crow .

”

M ii ller’

s Inscriptions, No . 5, p . 27, and Plate 5.

t M ii ller’

s Inscriptions,No . 67, p . 43, and Plate 67.

1 H . C . P. B ell. Report on the Kegalla Di strict , 1892 , p . 79 . w ith plate.

( 24 )

In the middle of the outer si de of the verandah there i s a largeslab

,the Dondra Slab} recording the grant of land to the Temple

of Vishnu at Dondra Head in the fourteenth century . Thi s slaband the Dondra. PillarT at the front outer corner of the verandahare of particu lar interest on account of their association with DondraHead near Matara in the S outhern Province, the most southerlypoint of C eylon .

“ L ike C ape C omorin on the C ontinent of India,

say s Profe ssor Rhys Davids (Indian Ant iquary , I. , 1872 , p .

“ Dondra Head has always been a place of pi lgrimage, and seemsto have derived its sanctity from its being the extreme southerlypoint of land

,where the known and firm earth ceases

,and man

looks out upon the ocean— the ever-moving, the impassable , theinfinite .”

O pposi te to the Dondra S lab is the M ahakalattewa Pillar, fromthe band of a tank of that name s ix miles from Anuradhapura onthe road to G alkulam. It i s remarkable for i ts perfect preservati on

,not a single letter missing ; the inscription i s on al l four

sides iO ccasional ly other symbols beside s those menti oned above are

engraved upon the pi llars,such as a cobra and a pr i est’s fan . The

latter occurs,for example, on the Kongollewa Pillar§ (pl aced near

to the Dond ra S lab) .T he

‘

stone slab bearing the Royal Arms of Portugal was foundat Menikkadawara in the Kegal la D istrict by Mr . H . C . P . Bel l(Kegalla Report, 1892, p . 31, and plate) .L eaving now the West Verandah one crosses the S tone Gallery

to theNORTH VE RANDAH

at the back of the Museum,w here more tombstones, cap ital s,

i nscri ptions,&c . ,

wil l be met wi th . Here may be noted quaintPortuguese tombstones" a couple of Maldivian tombstonescharacteristical ly carved in coral line l imes tone ; a “ dressed stonewith 3 Tamil in scription of the fifteenth century from the Kotagama vihare

,found by M r . Bel l , who remarks upon the s ingulari ty

of d iscovering a Tamil inscription in the heart of a S inhalesedi strict ; thi s i s cal l ed the K otagama T amil Slalfil ; another stone

M uller’

s Inscriptions ,No . 163, p . 71. First translatedby Rhys Davids JournC eylon R . Asiat . S oc . ,

vol . V. ,1870—1871, p . 25.

M uller’

s Inscriptions, No . 159 , p . 69 . Rhys Davids, Zoo . c it ,1872 , p . 57.

1 M ii ller’s Inscr iptions , No . 110, p . 55, w ith plates 110A - l l O D .

M uller’

s Inscript ions , No . 112 , p . 55. Kongollewa lies about two miles northofM adawachch i in the North -Central Province.

A fu lly illustrated and h istorical account of these tombstones w ill be foundin . a paper on

“ Portuguese Ins criptions in C eylon ,

” by M r . J . P . L ew is,

to be published shortly in the Journ . C eylon R . Asiat . S oc .

1[ H . C . P . B ell . Report, Kegalla District, 18 92 , pp . 68 and 85,w ith figure onplate fac ingp . 72 .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

E H U N U G AL L A S L AB .

( l’lzo/ograp lz by H C . P. B ell

, E sq

[ T o facepage 24

WO O DE N DO O R JAM B FRO M D E VANAG ALA VIH AR IIWolograp ln by ll . 0. 1

’ Bell, E sq. )

lut‘e p age

( 25 )

slab in a corner of the verandah bear ing a short S inhalese inscription w i th representations of sun (an orb) and the moon (a crescent)is cal l ed the Ehunugalla Slab* i t records a benefaction to amonastery . C lose to this stone i s an ancient carved wooden doorfrom Dewanagala in the K egal la D istrict. The sol id wings of thi sdoor and the l eft j amb of i ts frame were found among the lumberunderneath the v ihare . There are ten plain panel s enclosed byframework in h igh rel i ef carved in a foli age scrol l . The carvingof the j amb i s described as fol lows : Between an outer bead ingand inner splayed edge of l otus petal s runs a long narrow pane lw ith graceful ly intertwined double scrol l of creeper

,separating

four figures al l difierent from each other . A space half moulded ,

half panel led, in flower design, intervenes between it and the basepanel , in which i s placed beside a tree an elephant wi th head andright forefoot rai sed and curl edThe door,which was presented by F. H . Price , E sq. ,

i n 1890,wasreconstructed at the C ol ombo Museum . The cross beam on thetop wi th the drooping lotus capi tal s was brought from the Pinnawal a ViharegiNext to the wooden door are two carved wooden pi l lars mounted

as door posts . They belonged to a set of seven balcony p il l arsfound under the eaves of the porch of the Kumbukgama Vihare . §O pposite to the wooden door are casts of two Peacock Pi l lars

from Anuradhapura . At the other end of the verandah there i sa l arge wooden r ice trough or paddy pounder, in which the paddywhich has previously been trodden out of the corn by bul locks i sbeaten and husked . Next to this i s an old carved ricemortar fromRatnapura, l ike those in constant u se at the present day , i n whichthe rice i s pounded into flour .

B U DDH A SH E D .

In the palm-thatched shed in the grounds behind the Museumfurther important stone antiquitie s are exhibi ted . C hief amongthese i s the large sedent Buddha found by Mr. Bel l in the

j ungle near the Nuwarawew'

a tank at Anuradhapura ." “ T hi sBuddha

,

” wrote Mr . Bel l in 1890, “ i s admittedly the finest yetbrought to l ight at Anuradhapura . The wonderfu l sharpness

H . C . P . B ell. Report, Kegalla District, 1892, p . 76, w ith figure on platefacing p . 72 .

1“ Id . , p . 49 .

I H . U . P . B ell, op ci t. , p . 38 .

Id., p . 2 2, w ith figure on plate.

H H . C . P . B ell. First Report on Archaeological Survey of Anuradhapura,

Sess ional Papers, 1890, p . 4 It is known as the T oluw i la B uddha,from

the hamlet ofT oluw ila . which adjoins the Nuwarawewa bund at the spot wherethe s tatue was found .

a 105-04

( 26 )

and depth of the features,the softness of expressi on, the symmetry

and repose of the body give the image a tou t ensemble wh i chcontrasts markedly

'

w ith the sto l id ‘figure-head ’ appearance socharacteri stic of these Buddhas in stone .

”

In front of the Buddha there i s a large moonstone of uniqueand admirabl e design, embossed wi th wreaths, festoons , and

garl ands,a pair of fabulous creatures (makaras) at the sides, and

a pair of two-fold representati ons of the S r i -p a tu la or sacredfootprints near the base . Thi s i s cal l ed the Floral M oonstone ofHanguranketa

,and was p resented to the Museum in 1894 by

L ady De Soysa.

The representations of the footprint of Buddha,cal l ed S r i

p a lu la , or S r i -pada , of which there are several in thi s shed carvedin stone

,are of considerabl e intere st . The best of them i s that

which i s known as the K oddaikeni S tone , a double S ri -pada ( l i kethe rest) covered with symbol s . The signs on the toes are calledswa s tika ,

the radiant emb lem in the centre i s the dha rma -chakra ,

in front of which are a coupl e of flags, at the side a fish -hookbehi nd a flower vase

,a conch shel l , a fan, a pair of fishes repre

senting Pi sces,one of the s igns of the zodiac a compl icated cryptic

emblem occupies the centre of the heel , and on one side of thi soppo si te to the fishe s are the tri sul emblems . The exact interpretat ion of the symbol ism of this stone has not yet been attempted .

”

Another cur i ous rel i c is the l imestone image representinga man standing in the jaws of a monster, sent by Mr . C . A . Murrayfrom Tissamaharama in 1892 . The moonstone and carved steps

,

with j anitors and terminal s,which have been arranged at the

entrance to the shed, arr ived here from Anuradhapura in theyears 1882 andThe stone discs ' placed round the convex si de of the largeHanguranketa moonstone are de scr ibed as mural ornamentsfrom Anuradhapura .

S IG IR IYA FRE SCOE S .

O n the wal l s flanking the main stai rcase w i l l be found C O p ies

of the cel ebrated frescoes d i s covered in a cave or pocket of theancient rock fortress of S igi riya near Dambul la . S igi riya

,the

li on rock,r i se s abruptly from the plains of the North- C entra l

Province to a height of about four hundred fee t, with an area ofl ittle more than an acre at the summit . I t i s said to have beenfortified by the S inhalese parri cide King Kasyapa, who ascendedthe throne 475A .D . and fled to the rock after having immured his

Cf. M emorandum by M essrs . J . P . L ew is and G . M . Fow ler, w ith p late, inJourn . C eylon R . Asiat . Soc . , vol . X I . , 1889

—1890. Proceedings, pp . lxi i, lxiii .

1"

Cf.Administrat ionReports ofthe M useumfor 1882 (p . 110D) and 1884(p . 18 D) .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

( 27 )

father King Dhatu S en,whose capi tal w as Anuradhapura . Kasyapamade S igiriya hi s capital , and took refuge there for eighteen years .O n the western face of the rock chambers have been scooped

out, and in one of these, 160feet from the ground, protected fromsun and rain , ancient frescoes were painted upon stucco plasteredupon the smoo th surface

,and sti l l remain in an excellent state

of preservation . The ancient app roaches to the summit and tothe chambers having fal l en into decay

,the rock once more

became nearly i naccessible and , according to local tradition, thehaunt of yakku or demons . Itw as however tackl ed bymore thanone adventurous climber dur ing the latter half of last century ,and in June

,1889 , Mr . Al ex . Murray of the Publ ic Works Depart

ment succeeded in reaching the pocket containing the frescoes

and in making the tracings of them,which he coloured as nearly asposs ible l ike the original s . He has l eft i t upon record that the workof copying took him from sunrise to sunset every day for a weekly ing at fu l l l ength on his back . A Buddhi st priest who visitedthe chamber gave i t as hi s op ini on that the pictures must be theportrai ts of some of K ing Kasyapa

’s queens . The portraits arearranged singly and in couples, the latter representing a maidoffering the sacred lotus on a tray to her mi stress .During the last ten years excavati ons have been carried on . at

S igiriya under the direction . of the Archaeological C ommissi on er,and fresh copies of the frescoes have been made under his supervi s ion ih oil 'colours, but these have not yet been exhibited in theMuseum .

P A R T I I .

ZOOLOG ICAL COL L E C T IONS .

In the g rounds at the back of the Museum a few l ive animal si ndigenous in C ey lon are placed on exh ib ition in temporaryshelters . The mammals include a leopard, bears , a tiger cat (Feltsviverm

’

na ), a jackal , palm or toddy cats, civet cats, porcupines , abandi coot rat, mouse deer, hog deer, &c . The birds are representedby a pelican ibis presented by He r E xcel l ency L ady Blake

,a

pel i can,purple herons,Malay bitterns, India koel s, B rahminy kites,scops owl,. and an Al exandrine paroquet . A young rufous- bel l i edhawk -eagl e has been loaned by His E xce ll ency the Governor(S ir Henry Blake, G .C .M .G A smal l tank contain s somemonitors or water l izards

,called “ kabaragoya in S inhalese

,and

in a smal l cage there i s a chameleon from C hilaw .

O n the other side of the block of bui ld ings in w hich the Mine ralGal lery i s si tuated (see plan) there are two sheds containingrespectively, the skel eton of a sperm whale or cachalot (Pkg/setterma crocep ha lus) and of the whal ebone whale (B a lcenop tera mdica ) .The carcases of whales are stranded from time to t ime on the shoresof C ey lon . S ome of them seem to have met the ir death at thehands of whal ers and to have dri fted by gale and current toC eylon . A whalebone whale was washed ashore in Weligam Bayin August, 1884, such bones as were recovered being placed on thefront verandah of

_

the Natural History Gal lery upstairs ; anothe rcarcase drifted ashore at Ambalangoda in S eptember , 1894 ; thealmost complete ske le ton was b rought to the Museum, and is theone now ly ing in the large cad j an shed ; i t measure d 65feet inl ength . This species of whales has the distincti on of being thel argest of al l known animal s

,l iving or exti nct .

A spermaceti whal e or cachal ot stranded on the south coast ofMannar i n S eptember

,1889 ; i ts remains are now exhib i ted i n the

smal l er shed,with the excepti on of the l ower j aw,which droppedinto the sea whi le the work of sal vage was proceeding and waslost . Another carcase arrived atAthuruw ila near Bentota in June,1904, in a high state of decomposi tion ; the lower jaw ,which al onecarrie s the functional tee th

,was missing . In November, 1904,

another decomposed sperm whale minus the lower j aw wasstranded at Mount L avinia . The teeth of the upper j aw of thespermwhale are vestigial s t ructure s imbedded i n t he gum .

At the foot of the main staircase l eading to the upper floor ofthe Museum there may be seen a smal l glass case containing

G RO U P SAM BUR ( G erms a rt i cular ) AND B OAR ( Sm eru tutm) .

[70fa Ce p age 28 .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

( 30 )

in the nests of King C rows, and the latte r have been actual ly.observed in the act of feeding a young Su rniculus .

* Th i s therefore appears t o be an exampl e of natural mimicry .

The Red-faced M alkoha (Phcenicophaes pyrrhocep ha lus) i s pecul i ar to C eylon,T as i s also the C eylonese C oucal ( Centrop uschlororhynchus) . Both of these specie s inhabit dense and dampforests . The C ommon C oucal or C row-pheasant (C entrop uss inens is) i s known local ly as the Jungle C row. I t is a fami l iarbird in the low-country j ungles and in the vic ini ty of vi l lages, i t schestnut-coloured wings offering a handsome contrast to the gl ossyblack body . I t i s a ground -feeding bird

,eating insec ts, l iz ards,

and smal l snakes .The Indian K oel (E udynamis honora ta ) i s another fami l iarIndo-C ey l onese bird . In the breed ing season, from March t i l lJuly, i ts cry of ku - z

’

l ku - z’

l, i ncreasing in intens ity and ascendingin the scale, i s to be heard in almost every grove [Blanford, l.a. ,

p . In C ey lon it i s known to E uropeans as the Brain-feverbird , on account of the persi stency of i ts cry . I t fe eds on fruit,and, l ike the cuckoos , i s parasi ti c in its nesting habits , l aying i tseggs in May and June in the nests of crows

,general ly the Indian

or Gray C row (C orvus sp lendens) , less frequently i n those of theBlack C row (C orvus macrorhynchus) . The crows bring up thekoel s, which at t imes eject the young crows from the nest afterthey have been hatched [B lanford] . The mal e i s black throughout ; the femal e i s spotted with white .The pr incipal parrot of C eyl on i s sometimes call ed the Al exan

drine Paroquet (Pa laeornis eup a tm'

a ) , coloured green,with ( i n themale) a broad rose -p ink

l

collar round the nape . The l ittl e C ey l oneseL oriquet (L or iculus indicus) i s pecul iar to C eylon . The parrotwhich is commonly used as a cage bird by the natives of C eyloni s the Rose -ringed Paroquet (Pa lworm

'

s torqua tus) .

O f the owl s which are show n in the bottom shelf, the C eylonBay O w l (Photodi lus assimi lis ), pecul i ar to C eylon, i s to be notedon account of i ts rari ty

,being found on ly in the hi l l s round

Kandy . The Demon bird , or “ U l ama” of C eylon , so-cal l ed onaccount of i ts dreadful moaning hoot

,i s commonly identified with

H uhua nep a lensi s B ubo nipa lens z'

s) and also with Syrniumindram

’

.

In the other hal f of thi s case,commencing at the top , are shown

the Barbets (C ap itonidae) , of w hich the Y el low-fronted Barbet(Cyanop s flavz

’

fr ons) and the pretty l ittl e C eylon Barbet (X an tho

lcema mbr icap i lla) are pecul iar to the Island Indian Rol lersB irds of India, 18 95, vol . III. , p . 2 24.

j' T he distribution ofthe different species ofbirds is indicated in red upon the

small maps placedbelow the specimens .

( 31 )

(C orac iadee) Bee -eaters (Meropidae) K ingfishers (Alcedinidae)H ornbillsj

'

(Bucerotidae) , two species, one of which (L'op hocerosginga lensz

’

s) i s pecul iar Hoopoes (U pupidae) Sw ifts (C ypseli dae) ,one of which, the E dible -nest Swiftl et (C olloca liamcip lzaga ) ,bui lds the wel l -known edibl e nests in caves, smal l cups made ofgrass ; moss, and feathers cemented together by inspi ssated saliva[Blanford, l.o. , p . 177] N ightj ars (C apr imulgidae) ,wh ich l ay thei reggs on the ground wi thout any nest .

B IRD C AS E II .

The second case alongside the first contains some of the Dovesand Pigeons (C olumbidae) , i nc luding T u r tur r isom

’

us,the Ring

dove,and C olumbu tntermedia , the Indian Rock Pigeon

,from

which al l the breeds of domestic pigeons pecul iar to India arederived . The Gal l ine or true game bi rds of C eylon belong to thePheasant family (Phasian idae) . First i n orde r and importancecomes the Peafowl , referred to and exhibited el sewhere ; thenthe endemic C eylon Jungle- fowl ( G a llus lafayetti) , characterizedby i ts pecul iar cal l and by the yel low patch i n the centre of thecomb of the male ; the endemic C ey lon Spur-fowl ( G a llop erdz

’

x

bica lcara ta) ,which only occurs in the southern half of the Is landfinally the Quai l s and Partri dges . The Gray Part ri dge (F rancolinus p ondz

’

eem'

anus) i s common in India, but i s only found in thenorthern half of C eylon and in the smal l i slands (Delft, Iranativu,

&c .) 06 the Jaffua Peninsu la . The Painted Partridge (F . p ictu s) ,unrepresented in the Museum col l ection, i s another IndoC eylonese bird l ocal ized in C eylon to the highl ands or patanasbetween Nuw ara E l iya and Badul l a.The Three-toad Quai ls , represented here by two femal e vB ustard

Quai l s (T urnip pugnax) , be long to a separate order, Hemipodii ,and family, Turnicidae . The females are large r and more highlycoloured than the mal es, and the ordinary conduct of the sexesduring the period of incubati on i s reversed

,for the male alone

s its on the eggs and tends the young brood, w hi l st the femal eswander about , utte ring a purring cal l that se rves as a chal lenge ,and fight each o ther [Blanford , Faun . Ind . Birds , vol . IV . ,

p .

O f the Rail s , C rakes, Moorhens, and Watercocks (Ral l idae) ,Bail lon’s C rake (Porz cma pus illa ) i s to be noted for i ts rari ty inC ey lon ; the Moorhen ( G a llinu la chlor opus) ranges from Great

T he Indian Roller ( Cm-a c id s iudi ca) is common at Jafl’

na,Anuradhapura, &cand is known to E uropeans as the L ow -country Jay, but it is a P icarian birdrelated to the B ee-eaters and K ingfishers , not a Passerine bird of the C row

family . It is fond ofperching on telegraph w ires .

1' T he H ornbills of the E thiop ian, O riental, and Papuan regions are the

representatives of the T oucans (Rhamphastidte) of South America, and are

sometimes popularly confounded w ith the latter .

( 32 )

Bri tain through E urope , Asia, and Afri ca, and occurs in the tanksof C ey l on , though rare ; final ly, the Purple Moorhen (Po rphyr iop oliocep ha lus) i s a handsome Indo -C eylonese bird common inparts of the low - country .

The bottom shel f in front commences the ser i es of L imi col inebi rds

,Pl overs and Snipes and the ir al l ies . The S tone C ur lew

( (E dicnemus scolopax) i s a nor th-east migrant to C eylon, the GreatS tone P lover (E sa cus r ecur vir os tr z

'

s) i s a resident shore bird bothbelongjto one fami ly, the CE dicnemidae . The C rab Pl over (Drama s

a rdeola ) , another shore bird, whi ch al so breeds i n C eylon, i s theso l e type of the fami ly Dromadidae.

In the reverse half of thi s case , commencing from the top , wi llbe found C ouri er Pl overs and Swal l ow Pl overs , shore birds of thefamily Glareol idae ; Water Pheasants (H ydropha sianus ckz

’

rurgus) ,

Parridae, a common low- country bird the Turnstone,L apw ings

,

Pl overs, O yster-catcher, S tiltf‘

Avocet,T C ur l ew ,

Wh imbrel,

S andpipers; and S tints , all shore birds andwaders belonging to thefamily C haradri idae ; Woodcock (S cotop ax rusticu la ), a rare migrant,and S nipes (S colopacidae) , of which the best known are thePintai l Snipe ( G a llinago s tenura ) , a north-east migrant commonfrom S eptember to Apr i l, and the Pai nted Snipe (Rostra tu lacapens is) , a resident of the l ow country , widely di stributed inS outh Asi a and Africa .Many of the shore birds, l i ke the sea bi rds, gul l s, and terns, have

a very wide di stribution . The circum- l i ttoral range o f theTurnstone (S trep sz

’

la s interpres) throughout both hemispheres i sremarkabl e . The O yster- catcher (m a top us ostra legus) i s confined to the O ld Wor ld . The range of the Gray Pl over (Squa ta rolahelvetz

'

ca) i s world-wide i t breeds in the far north and i s a wintervisi tor to India

,C eylon , and Burma [Blanford ] .

B IRD C AS E S III . AND IV .

The next couple of bird cases contain the one a group of Accipi trine birds,§ E agl es, Hawks , Falcons, and Kestrel s the other agroup of Peafowl (Pa ve cmfs ta tus) . This latter i s the pri ncipalgame bird of C eylon, and in fact the most s tately bird in theI sland . A frequent ornament in parks and gardens in E urope , i tl ives here in its native haunts . I t feeds and nests upon theground , but roosts i n the topmost branches of trees , whence i t

Shown in another case ( see below) .

T An occasional migrant, not in the M useumcollection.

I T he Sandpipers are well known locally by the colloquial S inhalese name

s iri -bir i"

; they are also sometimes ca lled Snippets,because they somewhat resemble Snipes in their habits.

O ther Accip itrinebirds, H arriers and Falcons , are shown in ano ther case ( seebelow ) .

PE AFO WL .

[ T u rampage

( 33 )

surveys the country round and is consequently difficu l t toapproach . A male in perfect p lumage is shown perched upon atree a dun-coloured femal e and a partridge- l ike young are p lacedon the floor of the case .

B IRD CAS E V .

Passing now towards the other side of the gal lery the remainingbird cases may be inspect ed, commencing with the case next tothe stairs facing the S ambur and Boar - Group . Here are someof the Passer ine birds . The order Passeres comprises about onethird of the entire avian fauna of C ey lon . The front hal f of thiscase contains O ri o les (O r io l idae) , represented by the bri l l iantyel low-bodied black-headed O r iolus melanocepha lus Mynas andS tarl ings (S turnidm) , of which three are pecul iar, namely , theC eylon Myna, known to ornithologists as the C eylon Grackle "

(E ulabes p ti logenys) , the common C ey lonese Myna (Acr idotheresmelanosternus) , which i s used extensively as a cage b ird by theboutique-keepers and other residents, and the White-headed Mynaor S tarl ing (S turnorm

’

s senex) , an inhabitant of the mountainforests of C eylon ; Thrushes and Black-birds (Turd idae) , of whichthe C eylon Black-bird (M erula a resident of the forestsabove feet, the Buff-breasted C eylon Thrush (O reocinclaimbr z

’

ca ta) , and the Spotted Thrush (O reocz'

ncla sp i loptera ) arepecul iar ; Flycatchers (M usci capidae) , of which the C eylonese BlueFlycatcher (S toparola sordida ) i s endemic, wh i l e the ParadiseFlycatcher ( T erp s ip kone p a r adise) , local ly known as the C eylonBird of Paradise, i s an exquisite and highly characteri sti c IndoC eylonese resident . The Paradise Flycatcher i s not uncommon ,though i t i s rarely seen about C o l ombo . The male bird undergoesremarkabl e changes of pl umage , which are i l l ustrated by thespecimen s exhibi ted .

After the autumn moult of the second year the male has the whole headand crest glossy black [throatbrown,breast ashy,belly white], and the wholeupper plumage rich chestnut ; themedian tail feathers grow to a great length ,and are retained till M ay or June, when they are cast . After the autumnmoult of the third year the chestnut plumage is again assumed

,and also the

longmedian tail feathers,but the whole lower plumagc from the throat downwards is pure white, the breast being sharply demarcated from the blackthroat . After this moult a gradual transition to the white upper plumagetakes place, the w ings and tail being the first parts to be afiected

,but the

change to a complete white plumage is not affected till the moult of thefourth autumn . After this moult the male bird is fully adult, and permauently retains the white plumage the head

,neck

,and crest are glossy bluish

black the whole body plumage white. j'

T h is species i s placed by M r . E . W. O ates (Fauna B r it . Ind B irds , vol . I

p . 513) in a separate family, the E ulabetidae.

i O ates, E . W. Fauna B rit . Ind. ,B irds

,vol . II., 1890, p . 46.

F 105-04

( 34 )

Just as the I ndo - C ey lonese Peafowl is replaced in Burma by adi stinct species (Pa vo mu licus) which ranges southw ards to Java,s o the Paradise Flycatcher of India and C ey l on i s represented inBurma by an al l ied species ( T erp s ip lwne afi nis) .

The robins are clo sely related to the fiycatchers on the one handand to the thru shes on the other . The Black Robin ( T hamnobiafu lz

'

ca ta ) and the Magpie Robin (C opsychus saumr is) are, next tothe crows

,the sparrows

,and the babblers

,the commonest birds

in C olombo and throughout the I sland ; the L ong-tai l ed Robin ,known to ornithologists by its Hindustani name Shama, i s a shyj ungle-bird .

In the reverse hal f of the case are shown Weaver birds andMunia Finches (Pl oceidae) , the Hi l l Munia ( U roloncha kelaa r ti )bei ng pecul iar Sparrows (Fringill idae) , the House Sparrow(Pa sser domesticus) ranging from Great Bri tain to S outh A sia ;S wal low s (Hirundin idae) Wagtai l s and Pi pi ts (Motacil l idae) theGray -headed Wagtail (M ota cz

'

lla borea lis) ranges al l ove r E urope ,Asia

,and North Afr ica, and may be seen on the Gal le Face Parade

during the north-east season from S eptember to May ; L arks(Al audidae) ; Sun bi rds* (Nectarini idae) and Flower-peckers(Dicaeidae) , the former wi th long bi l l s , the latter with short bi l l s ,both famil ies being di stingu i shed from al l other Passerine birdsby the serrati on of both mandibl es of the beak the Indian Pi ttao r Ground Thrush (Pi ttidae) , a characteristic north- east migrant .Final ly

,the bottom shelf of the case contains the Woodpeckers

’

r

(Pi cidae) , a very distinct family of bi rds wel l represented in

C eylon . The type skins of L egge’s Woodpecker (B rachyp ternusintermedius) w ere presented by S i r W . H . Gregory . This vari etyi s bel i eved to be a hybrid between the Golden-backed Woodpecker(B . aur antius) , and the common Red-backed Woodpecker (B .

erythr onotus) , which is pecul iar to C ey lon . L ayard’

s Woodpecker (C hrysocolap tes s tr icklandz

’

) i s also confined to C eyl on .

B IRD C AS E VI .

The case adj oining the one j ust de scribed,commencing from

the top of the reverse side,contain s more Passerine birds , namely,

the C row s, Jay s , and Titmice (C orv idae) , the C eylonese Jay (C issa( imam) , co loured chestnu t and blue, being endemic . This bird i ssometimes known as the C ey l on Magpie . I t i s a forest bird ofshy habi ts, feeding a good deal on the ground [O ates] .

T he Sun birds are the representatives in the O ldWorld ofthe H ummingbirdsof the New World. and l ike the latter can poise themselves on the w ingWhileextracting nectar from flow ers . T hey are frequently seen in Colombo feedingupon the H ibi scus flowers .

T T heWoodpeckers a re Picarian bi rds , not Passerine.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

( 36 )

(Phaem'

cop ter us r oseus) i s a north- east migrant to C eylon frequent ~ing the sal t l akes of the Hambantota and Mull aittivu Di strict s . I t

i s essential ly gregarious, l iv ing and breeding in l arge colonies . Themovements of a flock are remarkably concerted, and at the leas talarm they ri se with one consent l ike a pink cloud across thehori zon . The three specimens exh ibi ted are females in differentstages of plumage .

The Darter (Plotusmela nogaster) i s sometimes cal led the Snakebird, on account of i t s long serpentine neck , whi ch i s persistentlykinked . The method of feeding was described by Mr . W . A .

Forbes as fo l lows* The darter s fe ed entirely under water .Swimming with its wings hal f-expanded , though l ocomotion i seffected entirely by the feet, the bird pursues i ts prey with a peculiardart ing or j erky acti on of the head and neck

,which may be com

pared to that of a man poising a spear or harpoon before throwingit . Arr ived wi thin striking distance the dar ter suddenly transfixes the fish on the tip of i ts beak wi th marvell ous dexter i ty ,and then immediately comes to the surface

,where the fish i s

shaken offthe beak, thrown upwards, and swal l owed, usual ly headfirst .” When swimming at the surface the body i s submerged, onlythe head and neck proj ecting above the water . The darters arecommon about the tanks of C eyl on . When resting on a tree thewings are held expanded as shown . The stomach of this b ird isprovided with a dense hairy plug or sieve guarding the entrance tothe smal l intestine .

B IRD C AS E S ~IX . X II .

The remaining birds which are placed on exhibition are shownin the recess facing the Sambur and Boar Group . In C ase IX . arethe birds of largest bulk occurring in the Island,gigantesque S torksand Herons

, Spoonbi l ls, and Pel i can Ibis or Painted S tork . C ase X .

contains Harriers (Fal conidae) and Bi tterns (Ardeidae, the Heronfamily) . The Malay Bittern ( G orsa chz

'

usmelanolop hus) i s a northeas t migrant to C ey l on, arriving towards the end of O ctober andbeginning of November

,and fugitive specimens are frequently

captured about this time in C o lombo , sometimes landing in thestreets of the Fort and in the ball-room of Queen ’s House .C ase XI . contains Gannets or Boobies (S u l idae) , oceanic birds

sometimes taken here,and Ibis (Ibid idae) , tank bi rds . Final ly,

C ase X II. contains Ducks and Teals (Anatidae) , Terns and Gulls(L aridae) , Frigate birds (Fregatidae) , C ormorants and Darters(Phalacrocoraci dae) , Pel icans (Pelecanidae) .W. A . Forbes. O n some points on theAnatomy of the Indian Darter (P lofm

melanoga ster) and on the M echanismof the Neck in the Darters (P lotus) , in con

nection w ith their habits . P . Zoo ] . S oc . , L ondon,1882 , pp . 208 —2 12 .

FL AM ING O E S AND O T H E R WADE RS .

[ T o fa ce page 30.

37 J

M AM M ALS .

Besides the mammal s living in the grounds and those whichhave been mentioned above in connecti on w i th the groups in thecentre of the gallery , further examples are shown in the westernalcove . S everal of the eighty species of mammals recorded fromC eyl on possess insular character i stics even such a large creatureas the sambur i s said to differ in“ some respects from it s Indianco- type

,but there i s nothing l ike the same degree of endemicity

among the mammals as has been remarked for the birds . As

di stincti ve C eyl onese mammals may be mentioned the GoldenParadoxu re or Palm C ivet (Pa radoxurus aureus) and the RuddyMungoose (H erpestes both of which are cal led by the sameS inhalese name H otambuw a .

”

There are two principal kinds of monkeys in C eylon, cal led respectively in the native language Ri l awa and Wandura

,

” referredto by Knox in the

.

anglicized terms B i l l ows and Wanderow s .

The former are the Macaques (M acacus p i lea tus) , with cheekpouches the l atter are the L angurs, compri s ing several species ofthe genus S emnop i

'

thecus, monkeys desti tute of cheek pouchesTroops of B i l l ows” and Wanderow s” may sometimesbe seen onthe same tree

,but as a rule they keep to themselves .

There are three distinct species of “Wanderow s” in C eylon. The

commonest i s the Madras L angur or C rested Monkey (Semnop i thecus p r iamus) , whi ch frequents the low- ly ing forests of the drymar i t ime districts of the North, E ast,and S outh . In addition to thecrest of hair on the head thi s monkey i s further di stinguished bythe fringe of l ong black hair s of the eyebrows, known as thesupra-orbital fringe .

The Purple -faced Monkey (8 . cepha lop ter us) i s wi thout the crestand fringe i t inhabi ts the damp forests of the West at l ow andmoderate el evations up to about feet.Finally , the Bear Monkey (S . ursinus) , described as endemic,

i s the monkey of the mountains, occurring in the country roundNuwara E l iya . I t i s cl osel y related ‘

to S . cep ha lop terusfi of whichi t may be a hi l l variety, and from w hich i t i s d i stinguished by itslonger and denser fur .The remarkab le Prosimian fami ly of the L emurs, whose head

quarters are in Madagascar, i s rep resented in C ey lon by a singlespecies

, L or is gra ci lis, a smal l tai l l ess, large-eyed , nocturnal ,arboreal creature of reti ring habits , sometimes cal l ed the C eylonS loth .

'

It i s omnivorous, feeding upon young l eaves, insects,A young live B ear M onkey presented by J . Spearman Armstrong, E sq. , from

Kotagala, and a Purple-faced M onkey from H orana are exhibited in the groundsat the back ofthe M useum.

( 38 )

spiders,birds ’ eggs

,birds

,and li zards . I t w i l l also eat plantains

and boi led rice, and w i l l drink mi lk, but i s not easy to keep al ivein captivi ty unless taken young and reared w i th great care .

The skeleton of an elephant shot by H . W . Varian, E sq. , said tobe the largest recorded from C eylon , i s remarkable for the smal lsize of the tusks, w hich are reduced to mere tushes . The skul l o fa large tu sker i s, how ever, shown below . Tuskers are rare inC eylon , and are bel ieved to be the descendants of imported Indianel ephants . Another elephant skul l in sect ion is lying on the floornext to the skeleton of the sambur . There are also skeletons ofthe wild buffal o, wild boar, and the bear . O f the other stuffedanimal s, a

' pair of large l eopards,the bear

,the otter

,and the

pangol in may be noted special l y . The Indian Pangol in or S calyAnt-eater (M am

'

s pentadactyla ) i s one of the most curi ous mammalsfound in C eylon . I t i s a nocturnal burrowing an imal not oftenseen i ts j aws are desti tu te of tee th (E dentata) , and i ts tongue i sexceedingly l ong and vermiform,

adapte d for penetrating into theburrows of termites or w hi te ants

,upon w hich it feeds . Its

scales are sometimes employed for making imitation tortoiseshel l combs . O ne such comb

,presented by H . J . V . E kanayake

E sq., of Balapitiya, i s exhibi ted . The Indian Pangol in i s represented in Burma by an al l ied species M . j avam

'

ca , which rangesthrough t heMal ay Peni nsula

,Sumatra

,Java

,Borneo , and C elebes .

There i s al so a C hinese Pangol i n (M . a um’

ta ) in Nepal , Assam ,

S outhern C hina, and Formosa . S everal species of the same genuso ccur in Africa .

There are three sorts of fly ing mammals in C ey l on, namely, theFrui t Bats or Flying Foxes (Pteropod idae), the smal l InsectivorousB ats (Microchi roptera) , and the Fly ing Squirrel , P teromys ora l

(Rodentia S ciuridae) . The Insectivorous Bats comprise the L eafnosed Bats (Rhinolophidae) ; the Vampire Bats (Nycteridae) , w hichfeed upon frogs, rats, and smaller bats, as wel l as insects ; thePipistrel les (Vespertil ionidae) and the S heath -tai led Bats (Emballonuridae) . The Fly ing Squirrel has approximately the samegeneral di stribution throughout India

,Burma, and C eylon as the

Flying Fox (P terop us media s) , inhabits the same di str icts, and i sal so frugivorous and nocturnal . I t is not however gregar i ous,and does not suspend itsel f head downw ards

,as do the frui t bats

and other bats,but rests in the ordinary attitudes of arboreal

mammals .The aquatic mammal ia (Whales, Dolphins

,Porpoi ses, and

Dugongs) are represented by an excel lent set ofdugongs, male .femal e

,and young , and a skeleton . The female specimen exhibited

i s 10 ft. long ; i t w as cap tured at Kayts near Jaffna . The Dugong

E L E P H ANT KRAAL IN G .

fa cepage 38

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

40

RE PTIL E S AND AM PH IB IA.

The col lection of reptile s and amphibi a i s contained underglass shades ove r the table cases . The l argest repti le s are the C rocodiles,Monitor s , and the Python . There are two species o f crocodiles in C ey l on , the Tank C rocodi l e (C r ocodi

’

lus p a la strz’

s) , witha comparatively short snout, and the Rive r C rocodi lewith a l onger and narrower snout . The former i s represented bythe skul l of a l arge specimen from the Minneri the latterby a young stufied specimen in the S ambur and Boar Group .

There are al so two specie s of moni tors , the large Water L i zard orK abaragoya (Va ranus sa lva tor) , of whi ch a skel eton i s exhibi

ted in the gal l ery and some l ive specimens in the grounds andsecondl y, the L and Monitor (V. benga lensz

’

s), a smal l er Speci es ,w h ich l ays i ts eggs in the nests of termi tes .S ome eighty-one species of snakes have been recorded from

C eylon, i ncluding twenty-six sea snake s (Hydrophidae) . T he

l at ter are al l poisonous , but o f the land snakes only six or sevenare poi sonous, the most deadly being the C obra (Na ia tr ip udt

‘

ans) ,the Tic Polonga or Russe l l’s Viper ( Vipera and theB ungarums or Kraits (B ungarus cey lom

’

cus and B .

E xample s of these are shown over the second table case to theleft of the staircase . The C rotal ine or Pi t Vipers, so called onaccount of the exi stence of a deep p i t of unknown significance oneach side of the snout between the eyes and the nostri l s, are notfatal to man . They are represented in C eylon by the K arawala(Ancistrodon hypna le) and the Green Polonga ( T r imeresurus

trigonocep ha lus) .

There i s a very common non -poisonous snake which mimicsthe dreaded B unga rus ceylom

’

cus i n i ts scheme of coloration,

namely,white transverse bands upon a dark ground colou r

, and

i s sometimes mistaken for i t when seen at a distance or whenexamined casual l y . This i s L ycodon au lt

‘

cus, a snake which i sfrequently found trespassing in bungal ows in C olombo . TheB unga rus occurs chiefly up

-country in the country roundPeradeniya, D imbula, Balangoda, and e l sewhere .A l arge Py thon molu r a s i s mounted in the east alcove ; someHydrophidae are shown over the thi rd case ; the snakes on thefifth case include a large Green Polonga and a large Tic Polonga ,somewhat faded over the s ixth case are the Whip snakes (Dryophz

'

s) ; the “ Pol-mal Karawala” ( Chrysapelea orna ta ) ,which whenfresh shows bright red spots along the back

,reputed poisonous

,

but in reali ty harmless and of gentl e dispositi on the fresh-waterPlaced on a bench in the east alcove.

1 B . raeruleus has only been recorded from Jafl’na .

C olour variations ofB itmap/1,113 l /t/Li i .

U RO PE L T IDZE .

105O4

( 43 )

or es tuar ine snake (C erber us rhynchop s,) w hich, l ike anotherfresh-water snake

,T r op idonotus p lumbicolor , has a viperine look

but is quite harmless ; and a rare fresh -water snake, G er a rdz

’

a

p revostiana , from the Kelani river, caught tw en ty y ears ago . O verthe seventh case w i l l be found a large specimen of the commonRat-snake (Zamem

’

s mu cosu s) ; another snake which attains al ength of five feet and a w i de girth i s D ipsas for s tem

’

z'

,of whi ch

only a half-sized exampl e i s show n . Thi s snake i s represented inC eylon by two var iet ies, the typ i cal var iety , brow n with angu larobl ique bl ack bars

,and the red variety

,un ifo rmly rich reddish

chocolate above without bl ack bars, paler roseate flush below afine exampl e obtained from Nambapana in S eptember

, 1904, i sshown . It is cal l ed local ly the L é -polonga (Blood -

polonga) , andi s reputed poisonous .O n a bench in the fish -gal l ery or eas t al cove there are skele tons

of the python,of a sea snake, D is ti ra stokesz

’

t'

, from the Pearl’Banks

,presented by C aptain Donnan , and of a monitor l izard .

The remaining small er snakes and l izards are placed over tabl ecases near the western end of the gal le ry . These are chieflyi nteresting on account of the relative ly large number of endemicforms

,speci es of l izards of the genera C era tophora ,

L yr iocepha lus ,

O tocryp tis, C op hotz'

s, and Acontia s being pecul iar to the Islandexamples of these are shown over Table C ase XVII . E ndem icspecies of snakes belonging to the genera Asp idura and Rhinopht

'

s,

as w el l as specimen s of L ycodon aulicus , to which reference hasbeen made above , are exhibited over C ase XVI I I . The snakeCylindr Op ht

’

s macu la tus i s al so a pecu l iar species, and is the oneto which the native name “ Depat-naya ”

(two -headed snake) i sspecial ly appl ied, though the term is equal ly appl i cabl e to Rhinophr

’

s and al l ied snakes . The hinder end of the body of thes esnakes i s truncated

,and bears superficial resemblance to a head .

The colour,yel l owish on dark brow n, vari es considerably ,

esp ecial ly in the case of R hinophis bly tht’

i ( see i l lustrati ons) .The giant tortoise from A ldabra, T estudo elep hantt

'

na, shown

on the far side of the Peacock C ase , does not belong tol ived here for many y ears in the grounds of the f i l la call ed

‘

“ U plands ” in Mutwal,near C olombo . I t was found here at the'

time of the Briti sh occupation i n 1796, and had become thoroughlyaccl imatized .

* It died in March , 1894.

A str iking display of large marine turtl es caught off the coastof C ey lon i s to be seen under the large p latform in the eastern or

T he H og-deer ( G erms p orc ina s) , ofwhich two living specimens are shown

rin

the grounds , is another example of an acclimatiz ed animal, introduced fromIndia during the Dutch administration into the Kalutara District, where it nowoccurs .

( 44 )

fish alcove . The edibl e turtl e , C helonemyda s , attaining a lengthof four feet, i s herbivorousfi‘ The loggerhead turtl e

, T ha lasso

chelys ca retta , i s obtained by harpoon ing and netting by the native sof Iranativu and elsewhere offthe coast it i s carnivorous

,feeding

on crustaceans and mol lu scs . The l eathery turtl e . Dermochelyscor ia cea , was presented by C . H . de Soy sa, E sq. ; i t i s no t common .

Finally , a specimen of the tortoi se -she ll turtl e , C helone imbr ica ta ,

and a young edib l e turtle, are shown in smal l tanks on either sideof the stai rcase .

S ome of the Amphibians of C eylon are shown over Table C ase IV . ,

next to the E agle Group . The large bul l -frog i s R ana tigr ina ,

the common toad B afo melanostictus . The common frog of theC o lombo lake is R ana hexadactyla . The tree -frog, T Ixa lusadsp er sus, pecul iar to C eyl on, has been found a t Pattipola,feet, and i s one of the rares t frogs exi sting . The cl imbing frogs ofthe genus Rhacop horus attach their foam- l ike ne sts to the l eaves ofshrubs and tre es overhanging water

,into which the tadpol es drop

when they hatch . The most singular batrachian occurr ing in thehi l ls o f C ey lon above or feet is the worm- l i ke,

ilegl esssalamander ,

”

i IchthyOp his gla tinosus . I t burrows i n softmudthe female lays eggs of large si ze

,and coi l s round the clump of

eggs unti l they are hatched . The larvae are aquatic, and areprovi ded with a respi ratory or ifice or sp iracu lum on each sideof the neck . The development has been worked out by twoSwiss natural ists, Drs . Fr itz and Paul S arasin .

F ISH E S .

A large ser i es of sharks and bony fishes is shown in the easternalcove of the gall ery . The largest and rarest i s the huge sharkw hich rests upon the platform along the centre of the room .

This i s a specimen of the Baski ng Shark (Rhinodon typ icus) , 23feet l ong, caught at Moratuwa in 1883. This species has al sobeen obtai ned off the S eychel les and the C ape of Good Hopei t was firs t recorded from the west coast of C eylon by Mr .Amyrald Haly, the former Director of the C ol ombo Museum .

In spi te of i ts bulk the spec imen shown i s not ful l-size, andi t is a harmless shark . I t i s regarded as one of the gems ofthe entire col l ect ion .

Chelonia r i rga ta is synonymous w ith Chelone myda s [B oulenger ] .1’ T he true tree-frogs of the family H ylidae are not represented in C eylon.

I’

l‘

he tailed batrachians (new ts and salamanders) form the o rder U rodela ,

which is unrepresented in Ceylon ; the ta illes s batrachians (frogs and toads )form the order Anura : the legless batrach ians or the caec i lians belong to the

order Apoda .

NE S T C L IM B IN G FRO G . (C O L O M BO . )( Ithacop horux wuccula lus

[To [ a repage 44

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

( 46 )

south-east verandah is a young specimen of the T w o -hornedS kate (D icer oba tus eregoodoo) , exhibi ted w i th the low er s ide updisplaying the gi l l - clefts w i th the gil ls show ing through .

Inanother trough on the opposi te north -east verandah is anothe rw e l l -preserved S ting Ray of the speci es T rygon sep hen,

and nearto thi s i s a young Beaked Ray (Ae

'

toba tis The skatesand ray s feed largely upon crabs and mo l luscs .The fai rl y numerous specimens of Tel eostean or bony fishes

which are exhibited in the wal l cases are somewhat remarkableon account of the w el l - preserved colour markings

,which in many

cases have retained their freshness after the l apse of several years,

in a gum and glycerine mix ture adopted by Mr . Haly . Againstthe window beside the Threshe r Shark is a good example of theS wordfish (H istiogflw rus gladius) . The large stuffed fish in thebo ttom shelf of the adj oining wal l case i s a Wrasse (L abr idae) .The parrot w rasses , fishes of bri l l i ant colours

,feeding in the

neighbourhood of coral reefs at Gal l e,for example

,w i th parrot

l ike beak consi sting of teeth soldered together,belong to the

genus Pseudosca rus of the Wrasse family . The “ Red Mul le t ” ofthe C olombo market i s S er ra nus sonnera tz

’

,of the Pe rch family .

The Seirfish ,the stap l e fish food of C olombo , belongs to the

M ackere l fami ly (S combri dae) , and is named CyM am gulta tum.

“

The jumping fishes to be seen about the rocks at Mount L avin iaand Gal l e are bl enni es of the genus S a la r ia s ; and the mudskippers of Negombo are gobies of the genus Per iop htha lma s .

The principal fresh -w ater fishes of C ey l on are the C arps (C ypr ini dae) , including the Indian game fish cal led the Mahseer (B a rbus

tor ) , the O ph iocephali , tank -fishes,the L abyrinthi ci or “ c l imbing

perche s (Anaba s scandens and Polya canthas s igna tns) , andthe C atfishes (S i luridae) . O ne genus of catfishes, A r ia s

,cal l ed

anguluwa” in S inhale se , occurr ing at Panadure , Kalutara . andel sew here , has the remarkabl e pecul iari ty that the males carry theeggs, 15—20i n number, in thei r months until they are hatched .

INSE CTS .

The L epidoptera (bu tte rflies and moths) are show n in e ighttable cases placed near the E agl e and Peacock Groups .The Mo ths or Nocturnal L epidoptera commence in Tabl e C ase I I .

w i th the fami ly Saturni idze ,the caterpi l lars of w hich spin si lken

cocoons in which they pupate and from w hi ch they emerge in theadul t or imago phase of their l i fe-history . This family compri sesthe larges t mo ths found in C ey lon

,name ly

,th e L unar Moth

*Not exh ibited. T h ere is an extensive tunny fishery ( T hy/mas thanm’

na ) off

B alap itiya during the north -east monsoon and the fish are daily sent to C olombo .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

( 48 )

The Museum is largely indebted for many specimens in theInsect Department to Mr . E . E . Green , the Government E ntomologist, and to Messrs . F . M . M ackw ood and O . S . Wickwar, whohave al so devoted much time to the arrangement of the dupl icateco l l ec ti ons of Butterfl ies

,Moths , and Hymenoptera .

C RU STACEANS AND M O L L U SCS .

S ome C rustaceans (c rabs , hermit crabs , prawns, barnacl es) wil lbe found among the table cases

,chiefly on the tops of the cases .

Mar ine Shel l s and L and S hel l s are contained in the tabl e casessurrounding the central group . The mari ne shel l s of C eylon aren ot remarkable for their excep ti onal variety and abundance .C eylon fol l ows far behind many other l ocal ities of the IndoPacific Region in the r ichness of i ts Mari ne Mol luscan Fauna, buta sufficient compensati on is afforded by the presence of thece lebrated pear l banks .O n the other hand

,the l and shel l s of C eylon are highly pecu

l iar,and comp ri se many endemic Speci es . The largest snail s of

the Island bel ong to a genus,Aca vus , wh i ch i s confined to C eylon .

Mr . O l iver C ol lett, F .R .M .S w ho l ived for some years at Ambagamuwa, was a great col l ector and connoi sseur of the land-Shel l s ofC ey lon, and publi shed three “ C ontr ibuti ons to C eylon Mal acol ogy”

in the Journal of the C eylon Branch of the Royal Asiati c Socie ty(vols . XV .

—XVI 1897 O n his death , which occurred prematurely in 1902 , his col l ection was purchased by the Governmentof C eylon for the C olombo Museum and forms a valuable students ’c ol l e ction

,wh ich can be vi ew ed on appl ication . I t contains

several. speci es sti l l unnamed .

PEARL B ANKS AND CORAL RE E FS.

A number of Specimens in Table C ase s I . and VI I I . , some ofwhich were presented long ago by C aptain Donnan , many morehaving been added recently by Mr . James Hornel l ,Marine Bio logi stand Inspector of Pearl Banks

,i l l ustrate the natural hi story of the

banks or paars which afford anchorage to the pearl oyster. Priorto the year 1903there had been no pear l fishery for twelve years ,and in 1902 a special mi ssion

,consisting of Professor W. A .

Herdman,

assisted by Mr . James Hornell ,was appointed toreport on the Pearl O yster Fisheries of the Gulf of Mannar . “ Theanimal (M arga r i tifer a vu lgar is, S chum.

=Avlcula fa ca ta ,G ould)i s not a true oy ster

,but belongs to the famil y Avicul idae, and i s

t herefore more nearl y related to the Mussels (M y ti lus) than tothe O ysters (O s trea ) of our Bri ti sh seas . O ne very notablecharacter of great practical importance , in whi ch it differs from

( 49 )

O s trea , is that the pearl oyster, l ike our common mussels, has a‘byssus ’ or bundle of tough threads by w hich i t can attach itselfto rocks or o ther foreign obj ects . ”The co l l ection show s pearl oys ters from several paars in various

s tages ofgrow th,and other organi sms

,coral s

, pennatulids , sponges ,sea u rchins, &c . ,

which also grow on the pearl bank s in associationw i th the pearl oy s ters . O f special interest are the spec imen sprepared in spiri ts show ing pearl s - in s i tu .

L arge specimens of stone coral s (M adrepo raria), sea shrubs(Gorgonacea) , black coral s (Antipatharia) , and l eathery coral s(Al cyonacea) from Gal le and the Maldive Is lands are exhibitedin w al l cases in the fish alcove and on the south verandah . Thosefrom the Maldive Islands w ere presented by Mr . J . S tanl eyGardiner

,M .A.

,w ho organized an expedition for the investigation

of the coral atol l s of the Maldives in the years 1899—1900.TThe dried coral s w hich are exhibi ted are the basal and axial

skeletons secreted by the sof t parts of the l iving coral polyps .These form large colon ie s by a pecul iar process of budding andbranching

,and depos i t the mineral subs tances w hich they have

absorbed from the sea water so as to form the w onderful growthsw hich remain after the l iv i ng tissues have been removed .

The Madreporaria are the reef- bui ld ing coral s forming extensivereefs at Gal le and off Jaffua, and especial ly at the Maldive Islands ,w hich are themselves partially elevated coral reefs . The pearlbanks are not coral reefs

,but sandbanks, formed of sandstone

and concretions upon w hich iso l ated corals grow w ithout formingreefs .

Cf. Report to the G overnment ofC eylon on the Pearl Oyster Fisheries of theG ulfof M annar, by W. A . H erdman ,

D .S C . ,w ith supplementary reports

upon the M arine B iology ofC eylon by other naturalists . Publishedby theRoyalSociety, Part I . ,

L ondon, 1903. Professor H erdman and M r. H ornell arrived in

C eylon in January, 1902 , and the former left in the follow ingApril. S ince thenthe work has been carried on locally by M r . H ornell.

T he Fauna and G eography of the M aldive and L accadive Archipelagoes .

E dited by J . S tanely G ardiner . Vols . I . and II 1901—1905(C ambr idgeUniversityPress) .

H 105-04

( 50 ?

T H E ROCKS AND M INE RALS O F CE Y LON .

B Y A . K . C O O M ARASWAM Y , B . Se .,

D irector , illmer a logica l S ur vey of C ey lon .

I .

— R O C KS .

T H E rocks of C ey l on are know n as G ranulites, or , using theterm in its w ides t sense

,as Gneisses ; they be long to the same

series as that w hich Mr . Hol land has named in S outhern Indiathe Charnockite Series. The rocks are c rystal l i ne and Show conspicuous mineral band ing (fo l iati on) , and ar e very varied inmineral compositi on . Rocks

,

of igneou s or igin fo rm by far thegreate r part of the C harnocki te S eries in C ey l on , al though i t i spo ssible that amongst these rocks there are some of sedimentarv

origin new highly metamo rphosed and incorp orated w i th theo thers . The bedded appearance so suggest ive of sed imentaryrocks i s in this respect deceptive

,and i s due to the banded

structure produced by flowing movements i n the heterogeneous magma during i ts consol i dation . N o fossi l s occur in anyof the crystal l ine rocks .The most characteri sti c types of rock exhibi ted include

granular quartz rock, consisting essenti al ly of quartz , bu t oftenw i th minute quanti ties of fe l spar and garnet ; leptynites, composedof quartz and felspar

,and very often contain ing an abundance of

garnet typ ical cliarnockite, essential l y composed of fel spar quartzand hypersthene pyroxene granul ites , characterized b y thepresence of pyroxene (hypersthene or augite or both ) withfel spar (usual ly tr i cl ini c) and with or w i thou t orthoclase , quartz,or garnet ; amongst these are rocks with the mineral compositionO fnorites, (liorites . and gabbl'os there are al so more basic typesconsi sting almost entir e ly of pyroxen e

,amph i bol e , and garnet

these dark heavy rocks frequentl y occu r as l enticular bands andi nclusions in the more acid types . C oarse -grained pegmati tes ofan intrusive character are found in dykes and veins crossing orparalle l to the fol iation of the o ther rocks in them the mineralsquartz , orthoclase , mica, and hornbl ende are mo st character i sti cthe quartz and fel spar are often intergrown as in graphicgrani te.The crystalline limestones are found in w i de or narrow band s

interbedded with the o the r rocks,often separated from them

by a zone of heavy dark gre en rock s composed essential lyof pyroxene and mica

,o ften with spinel . The l imestone s

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

( 52 >

decomposi tion of the granu l ites, especi al ly from their fe l spath icel ements .Volcanic rocks are very sparingly represented in C eylon . A

typical dolel‘ite (probably occurring as a dyke) from Kallodai ,

E as tern Provi nce , i s represented in the col lection . A few otherdyke s are said to have be en met w i th in C ey lon . No l avas ortuffs occur

,and

,with the exception of a few hot springs

,no signs

of volcan ic activi ty are found . Denudation has been so l ong atw ork that on ly the most deep - seated rock s are now exposed atthe surface . O f sedimentary rock s , w e have (a ) river gravels,sands, and al luvial clays (used for brick making) depositedby r iver s . In the gravel s are found the gems w hich have beenderived from the c rystal l ine rocks many have not yet been foundin si tu . (b) Marine deposits, including coral l ine rai sed beaches ,blown sand

,&c . Fo ssil shel l s and co ral s are abundan t in the

raised beaches w hich are found al l round the coast and often somel i ttl e w ay in land , but neve r very far above the presen t l evel ofthe sea .

II .

— M INE R AL S .

Before proceeding to refer i n systematic o rder to the nature andmode of occu rrence of particular mineral s i t w i l l be useful tocon sider briefly their nature and mode of formation . Regardedfrom thi s point of v i ew the mineral s of C ey lon fal l in to th reemain groups

,w hich are no t , how ever, separated from each other

by any rigid line of demarcationA .

— Minerals composmg o r associated w i th the c rys tal l inerocks .

B .— Vein mineral s .

C .-Minerals w hich are alterati on produ cts of othe r min eral sand rock s .

The first cl ass includes those w hose orig in i s for the most partdirect ly igneou s (ale the maj ori ty of C ey lonese mineral s) , andw hich occur as original mineral s i n the granu l i te s and cry stal l inel imestones . Many of these have cr vs talli z ed from an actual lymolten or vi scous magma

,o thers perhaps from masses of rocks

exi st ing merely in a state akin to fusion,some

'

being developedas the resu l t of contact interac tion between the l imestones andgranul ite s w hen both possessed a high temperature, w hi l s t othersforming pegmati te ve ins may even have crystal l ized from heatedvapours o r l iquids saturated w i th mine ral matte r . When sui tablecond i tions p revai l , these mineral s each assume defin i te and characteris tic cry stal l ine fo rms thi s has

,however

,rare ly been the case

in the granul i tes themse lves,w here an i rregu lar granul i ti c ”

structure u sual ly pre vai l s in the cry stall ine limes tones,how ever .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

54

in a fibrou s or flaky form. the flakes being arranged at right anglesto the w al l of the ve in (see Fig . The veins vary in width fromless than an eighth of an inch to several fee t. S ome are found tofol l ow the fol i ation planes of the various rocks

,others cross them

and ramify in al l directions . Much smal ler quantiti es of graph iteoccur as flakes in many of the granul i tes and in the crystal l inel imestones . when it u sual ly forms smal l tabu l ar s ix-sided crystal sw i th wel l -developed basal cl eavage . In these cases the graphitebehaves l ike the other acces sory minerals

,and there is no reason

to suppose that i t has been subsequently in troduced .

Fig. 2 .— Vein graph ite surro unding a por tion of included ma tr ix

(wh i te lep tynite) .

It i s clear,how ever

,that the graphi te occurring in ve in s has be en

depo s ited at a time po sterior to the con so li dation ofthe granu l i tes .

The ve in s are often of the most typi cal character . U sual ly theyconsi s t ofpure graphite (sometimes there i s evidence of more thanone peri od of deposition in a zoned structure of the ve in) sometimes the vein shows a central zone of quartz or pyri te w i thgraphite on e i ther hand

,sometimes the graphi te i s more i rregu larly

associated with mineral s such as felspar quartz and mica and wi thfragments of the su rrounding rock .

Metamorphism ofthe surrounding rocks near the veins i s foundonly on a very smal l scal e the rock su rfaces in immediate contact.w i th the veins are no t impregnated w i th scal es and flake s of

graphite to a greater depth than hal f an inch . Nor do .w e find thatthe quartz and o ther minerals ass ociated w i th the graphi te veins

( 55 )

are fil l ed w i th disseminated graphi te ; the l atter occurs only ins trings or scales o ccupy ing obv i ous cav i ties or cracks in the quartz .

It s eems that the deposition ofgraphite has been subsequ en t to thefo rmation of the pegmatite veins

,though fo l l ow ing the same or

similar paths in some cases .As regards the source of the graphite, w e see at once that i ts

presence cannot be ascribed to the metamo rphism of’

beds of coalor other carbonaceous depo si ts . and indeed that th e graph i te canhave had no direct organic sou rce and i s most probably of entirelyinorganic origin . L ike 'other mineral s found in veins , i t must havebeen deposi ted from vapours or l i quid s satu rated w i th mineral(in this case carbon iferous) matte r ; for w e canno t suppose thatthe graphite was introduced in the form of dykes of mol tencarbon .

S u lp hur , S .— O ccurs as a decomposi tion product of pyrite in

smal l quanti ties .G old, Au .

— Smal l quanti ties of native gold are of rare occurrence in streams

,sands

,and al luvi al deposits , but there i s l ittl e

prospect of i ts ever becoming of commercial importance .

S a lt,NaC l.— O btained by the evaporat ion of sea w ater in natural

and art ificial l akes,know n as lew aya .

”

C innaba r , H gs .

Pyr i te, FeS — C ommon as an accessory mineral in granulitesand cry stal l ine l imestones .

M a rcasz’

te, Fes Q .

Pyr rholi te, Fe 1 —O ccasionally as an accessory mineral incrystal l ine limestones and in charnock ite .Ice

,H O .

— Fro st i s sometimes experi enced in the hil l s .

Fig 3.— C orundum.

C or undum,A1203 — C orundumi s the most important ofthe gemmineral s of C ey l on . When red i t i s known as ruby w hen blueas sapphire w hen purple as ori ental amethyst when yel l ow asorienta l topaz co lou rles s varie ties are al so found . The pecu l iar

( 56 )

character of s tar sapphires i s’

due to the presence of regularlydistribu ted minute inclusions arranged along the l ines of grow th

,

producing the appearance know n as si lk a s ix- rayed star i sseen w hen the crystal i s V iew ed in the d i rec tion of i ts vertical axi s .C oarser varie ties of corundum are used as emery

,for w hi ch pur

pose a good deal i s obtained in S ou thern India . C orundum isfound in the rive r gravels of C ey lon in more or less rounded andwate rw orn s ix- s ided crystal s

,w hich a re e ither p rismat i c or doubl y

pyramidal in character .O nly two localities are know n in C ey l on w here corundum

occurs in the parent rock . In one case (Talatu -oya) bl ue hexagonal crys tal s occurred in a narrow band of rock composed essent ially of orthoclase , microperthi te, and ol igoclase . In the other(Haldummu l l a) v io l e t or pu rpl ish hexagonal c rystal s are foundin a corundum- si l l imani te rock (of w hich a l arge specimen i sexhibited) , but not actual ly in s itu .

In S ou thern India corundum occurs (a ) in fel spathi c rocks as adirect product of the magma ; (b) in certain aluminous rocks ,probably as the re su l t of contact metamorphism . Specimens ofthese rocks are shown in the col l ection . In Burma rubies arefound in the crystal line l imes tones, w hich in o ther respec tsclosely resemble those of C ey l on .

H ema t ite,Fe

203.- L ess u sual than l imonite as an i ron ore

derived from the decomposi tion of the granu l i ti c rocks .L imoni te, 2Fe 2033H O .

-The common ore of iron in C eylon ,and fo rmerly extens ively worked . A lmost alw ays found as aproduct of the decomposi tion of the granul i tes .H ydrm

'

gi lllte, A12033H O .

— Forms . w i th l imoni te . the greaterpart of ordinary l ateri te (cabook ) .C a ssi ter i te, SnO

R uttle, T iO

T hom'

ant te, T hO + U O 3

’

. This new l y -discovered mineral .pecul iar to C ey l on , i s of great commercial importance owing tothe use of thoria in the manufacture of incandescent gas mantl es .

I t occurs in very heavy black cubic cry stal s at Bambarabotuw a,w here over a ton has been obtained . I t is valued at £600sterl ingper ton . I t i s of great scientific intere st too , on accoun t of i tschemical composition

,one or more new elements being possibly

p resen t ; i t con tains al so a l arge amount of occluded he l ium .

Though radio - active, there i s no more than a trace of radiumpresent .B addeley i te, ZrO Q .

Qua r tz , S iO -Very abundant throughout the C har nockiteS eries . T he purpl e va r i e ty is amethv s t . Dru sy group s from

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

( 58 )

“ coast or quar tz cat’s -eye is of a qu i te different character,cons ist

ing of quartz with inclu ded si lky fibres of asbes tos . ) The greenalexandrite appears red by transmi tted l ight and generally al so b ycandle l ight , but green by reflected l ight or day l ight .C a lci te, C aC O 3.

—In the cry stal l ine l imestones .Dolomite (C aM g)C O 3.

— In the crystall ine l imestone sometimesforming w i th calci te paral l el o r ramify ing intergrowths .

Forster ite,M gQS iO 4

.— This colourl es s mineral i s characteri sti c

of the c rystal l ine l ime stones,w here i t i s extremel y abundant .

The i ndividual s are u sual ly smal l . An unusual l y large cry stali n l imestone i s exhibi te d ; al so some very flattened crystal s of asuperficial ly dark colour . Inc ipient superfici al decompositionoften gives a dark colour to the crystal s .C ltnohumi te

,M g7(M gF) 2 (S iO 4) 4 .

— '

l‘

hisbeautiful y el low minerali s of rare occurrence in the crystal l ine limestones .

Pyroxenes

(1) H ypersthene (FeM g) S iO 3.— O ne of the most characteri sti c

mineral s of the C harnocki te S eries .(2 ) D iop s ide (C aM g)S iO 3.

— A colourless to pale green pyroxenecharacteri stic of the crystal l ine l imestones .(3) M anganhedenbergz

’

te,

— C haracteri sti c of

the Gal le group,and probably common in similar rocks el sewhere .

(4) Augtte, C haracteristic of many pyroxene granul i tes .(5) Wollas tom

'

te, C as iO 3.

—C harac teris tic of the rocks ofGal l e,in which it occurs di sseminated

,and also in very large individual s

in coarse pegmatite veins . I t has not yet been found elsewherein C eylon .

Amp hiboles .

(1) T r emollte, — Inc1udes colourless and pal eamphibo l es associated with the crystal l ine l imestones .(2 ) H orneblende

,&c .

— Incl udes dark amphibole s occurring in the crystal l ine l imestones and the dark greenamphibol es characteristic of many of the more basic varieti es orgranul ites and of contact zones .Ilmem

’

te,FeT iO 3 .

— O fw idespread occ urrence the commones tingredi ent ofmimbu and black sand . O ne exceptional and verylarge specimen i s show n .

G etkieli te,M gT iO S

.—Not known except in C ey l on , w here i t was

found in gem refuse .

T i ta n'ite (Sphene) , C aT iS iO 5.- C haracteristi c of the rocks of the

Gal le group ; common in j unction rock s, &c .

T a lc (S tea tite) , H 2M g3(S i03) 4 .

— T o be distinguished from mica .

Rare as an accessory mineral in crys tal li ne l imestones .

( 69 )

S erp entine, H 4M g3S i 909 .— No t infrequent as a decomposition

product offorsteri te .

Ap op hylli te, (H K)T op a z , — C ommonly found in gem gravel s yel low,

colourl ess,or p ink, the latter variety know n as king topaz . The

colourlessvar ieties arew rongly know n asw ater sapphires . The palegreen i sh-blue varietie s are cu t as aquamarine . No tmet w i th in si tu .

Anda lus i te,Al(AlO )S iO 4.

Kyam'

te, (AlO ) 2 S iO 3.

— Has on ly been found in dredgings madeby Professo r Herdman ofl the coast of C ey l on .

S i llimani te,A1

2 8 105.—Very rarely in good crystal s in gem

gravels . S i l l iman i te i s in some di str icts a common constituent ofthe

_ _

garnetiferous lep tyni tes, the rocks then resembl ing thekhondali tes of S outhe rn India

,of w hich specimens are exhibited .

Fine coarse si l l imanite rocks occur near Haldummu l l a, thes i l l iman ite being di sposed in sheaf - l ike and radiat ing aggregates .

The associated mineral s are corundum,garnet

,orthoclase-micro

p erthite , i lmeni te , and ruti l e . See also under C orundum .

Ka olini te (C hina C lay) , H 4Al

2S i QO g .

- C ommon as a decemp osi tion product of orthoclase .Felsp a r

'

s

(1) O r thoclase, KAlS i 3O 8 affords the wel l -known moonstone g. i t

occurs i n large bu t w el l - cleaved crystal s in ce rtain acid granul itesasso ciated with crystal l ine l imestones in the Dumbara di strict,C entral Province . Various pegmatites al so

,consi sting of qu artz

and orthoclase, y i eld moonstone of a poor qual ity . L arge individuals of idiomorphic orthoclase occur in pegmatite veins at Gal le .

An intergrowth of orthoclase with alb ite i s the most usual felsparof the l ess basic granul i tes . The sil very sheen so characteristic ofmoonstone i s probably the re sult of the presence of excessivelyminute i nclusi ons of kaol in

,the products of incipient decom

position . The blui sh-w hite opalescence of moonstone i s best seenwhen the crystal i s view ed in a direct ion at right angles to the basalplane

,t .e.

,when regarding one of the planes of easy cleavage the

stone should always be so cut that the flat base of the finishedcabochon gem is paral le l to thi s surface, in order that the opal escence may be central and as conspicuous as possibl e .(2) P lagioclase (L ime-S oda Felsp a rs) . - These are commonly

characteristi c of many of the granulites , but are rarely of large size .

A fine blue opal escence has occasional ly been observed in theplagioclase fel spars

,but none of S l ze sui tabl e for y ieldinggems have

been found .

0

(3) M ierocltne, KA18 308 .—Rarer than o rthoclase in the granu

l i tes .

( 60 )

M icas .—C ey lonese micas are of some importance from a com

mercial point o f v iew . They include muscovi te , bioti te , andphl ogopi te(1) M uscovlte, H KA13(S iO , ) 3 occurs but sparingly in C eylon ,

and no t in crys tals large or flaw less enough to be of commercialvalue .

(2) B iotite, i s chiefly found insmal l crystal s as a m ic roscopic cons t ituent of various rocksbel onging to the C harnocki te S eri es but a par t of vei n mica alsob e longs to bio ti te .

P/tlogop tte, i s by far the mostimportant ofC eylonese m i cas . M in ute pa l e or golden crystal s arealmost always common in the c rys tall ine l imestones . L arger micac rys tal s occur in veins and band s a ssoc iated usual ly with j unctionof g ranul ite and crys talli ne l imes tone . These micas are rare lycolourl ess

,being mo re usually brown, reddish , bo ttl e-green, or

amber -coloured. The larges t c rystal s found have been two orthree fee t in d iameter . T he veins a re usual ly one or two feeti n W idth

,and are composed of numerous books ” or crystals of

mica which are gene rally more or less idiomorphic , having a clearcut hexagonal outl ine . M ica i s u sed for the peepholes of stoves,for l amp chimneys, and very largely fo r ele ctrical appl iances,&c. ; comminuted m ica d us t i s of use as a non -conducting packing .

Mica has long been used in the E ast for ornamental purposes, al sofor medicine . Fine crys tals ofmica from the Kandy D i strict areexhibi ted .

F ig. 5.—T ourmaline.

T ou rma line.— A borosi li cate of alumina w i th magnesia iron and

a lkal is . B lack varietie s as sociated w i th qua rtz are no t uncommon .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

occurs abundantly in large idiomorphic crystal s in a,zirco’n

grani te . C ommon in gem w ashings , and usually wel l crystal l ized .

C o l ou r vari ou s brown , ye l l ow ish, green . The colourless varieti esare know n as Matara diamonds the coloured as j argoon andhyacinth

,used as gems .

T hor i te, T hS iO 4 .

Apa ti te,- A microsc0p ic constituent ofmany

granul i tes . Blue apatite i s very characteristic of the crystal linel imestones .F ergusoni te,

Anhydr i te, C aS O 4 .

U ran ini te (P itohblendo) .— U ranate of lead , the chief source ofradium . No t certainly know n to occur in C ey l on . as al l supposedspecimens may be thoriani te .

The above forms a complete l ist of the mine rals at presentknown to occur in C eylon ; the discovery of others may -be

expected ; mineral s of the samarski te and aeschyn i te groups areprobably present .For further information as to the rocks and mineral s the

foll owing works may be con sul ted,amongs t o thers

Weinschenck,E . Zur Kenntniss der G raph itlagerstatten Die

G raph itlagerstatten der Insel C ey lons . Zei t . fur prakt. G'eol

1900, p . 174.

G runling, F . U eber di e Mineralvorkommen von C ey l on . JZeit

fur Kryst,vol . XXXI I I . , 1900, heft pp . 209—239 .

C oomaraswamy , A . K . The C rystal l ine L imestones of C eylon .

Quart . Journ . Geo l . Soc . ,vol. L VI I I .

,1902 , pp . 399—422 .

C oomarasw amy , A . K . The Point de Gal l e Group (C ey lon)Wollastonite -scapolite Gnei sses . Quart . Journ . Geol . S oc . , vol.

LVIII 1902 , pp . 680- 689 .

III.-RO C KS O F S E C O NDARY O R IG IN .

O f these, Laterite (cabook) i s perhaps the most important . I tcommonly occurs overly ing qu i te unal tered granul ites

,forming

a mantle varying from a few feet to many yards in th ickness indifferent p l aces , bu t i s o f rather l ocal di stribution . When dug i t i ssoft, but as i t hardens on exposure i t forms a useful buildingstone . Typical later ite i s a decomposi ti on product of the rocksbeneath, and is especial ly characteristic o f tropical lands . L ateri tesare usual ly found to consist of a hue-grained scaly aggregate ofhydrargill i te or s imi lar al umin ium hydrate

,wi th also ferrous

( 63 )

hydrate vary ing in amount according to the nature of the parentrock . When the latter c ontained free quartz , i t i s found in thelaterite in angular grains .Various Clays, including kao l in (C hina clay) , are also found , and

are al so decomp osi tion p roducts of the granu l i ti c rock s . Theydiffer chiefly from laterite in con sisting rather of alumin iumsi l icates than of alumini um hydrate .

Cha ts and common-opal rock are sparingly found,often in

association with crystal l ine l imestones,and can sometimes be

shown to have been formed by pseudo -morphous repl acemen t oft he latte r ; specimens occur contain ing the phlogopi te, graphite ,and sp ine l of the original crystal l ine l imestone

,as w e l l as o thers

in which remains of the partial ly disintegrated carbonates canstil l be seen .

T ravertine (tufa) i s a secondary deposi t of carbonate of l ime(apparently sometimes contai ning magnesium carbonate as wel l)removed in solution from the beds of crystal l ine l imestone ; butthe se deposi ts are but rarely found in large quantity .

IV .— FO S S IL S AND R E C E N T S E DIM E NT ARY R O C KS .

E ven l ess i s known of these than of the crystal l ine rocks . A

be lt of rai sed beach deposi ts i s almost everywhere to be tracedaround the coast

,extending to no great height above sea level .

The mater ial composing the deposit varies from a sands tonecemented by calcareous material to a rubbly rock composedenti rely of the débr is of coral s and other cal careous organ i sms .A series of recent marine fossi l s from Palanti -aar i s exhibited ,and includes shell s in a calcareous breccia, and wel l -preservedremains of crabs in nodu les o f mud . There are al so fossi l chankshel l s from the K aduraw ala coast the latter are regularlyquarried in the recent deposi ts of the Jaffn

'

a D i stri ct .An interesting specimen of a bone and shell breccia from the

floor of a Vedda cave i s exhibited ; but l ittl e i s known, however,as to the occurrence of real ly ancient cave deposits ; masses of

stalacti te are rarely found in caves in the cry stal l ine l imestones .In add ition to the recent marine sedimentary deposi ts

,there are

ri ve r gravel s and al l uvi um s . Thick beds of the former are ofsomewhat rare occurrence, but rivers, l arge or smal l , are notinfrequently bordered by strips of al luvial deposits

,and w hen

they l eave behind the mountain country, and wi th i t their oftentorrential character, debouch upon extensive al luvi al plains wherefine s i lty muds are sti l l deposi ted in times of flood . The finemuds thus l aid down are of great value in

‘

the manufacture '

of

bricks and the coarser kinds of earthenware .

( 54 3

V .— G E M S AND G E M M IN G .

The gems of C ey l on are of such general interest that it w i l l bew orth w hi l e to give a brief account of the manner in wh ich theyare obtained . With the excepti on of moon stone and some garnets

,

none are obtained in sun, though all of course are d erived fromthe cry stal l ine rocks w here they o riginal ly crystal l ized

,l ike the

other mineral s accompany ing them . It i s how ever popularlv anderroneo usly supposed that they have grown w here found

,and that.

smal l and flaw ed gems are me rely immatu re .

The gems (of w hich a tabulated list i s g iven bel ow ) are obtainedfrom gravels which have been deposi ted by streams and riversgemming i s now only carri ed on in the Ratnapura Di strict of the

A G E M

Province of Sabaragamuwa and the Gal l e Di stri ct of the S outhernP rovince but a l i ttl e i s done near Hatton in the C entral Province ,and a good many gems were formerly obtained near NuwaraE l iya and in the Horton Plains . Many di stri cts are now more orle ss exhausted . The process of gemming is briefly as fol low sA pit i s sunk w here gem -bearing deposit s of gravel s are knownto occur ; a typical section w ould show five or six feet of muddyal luvium ,

resting on a deposi t ofgem -bearing gravel not more thanone or two feet thi ck , and cal l ed the i ll/1m,

below w hich is thema la wa ,

the decomposed (u suall y kaolinized) country rock, butgravel s are of cou rseobtained at vari ous depth s, from the actualsurface to fifty or sixty feet below . O ccasional ly tw o beds ofi llow

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

V I .— AR RAN G E M E NT O F T H E M INE RAL G AL L E R Y .

O f the four w al l cases, those facing the entrance are devotedto rocks ; the tw o right and left of the door to plumbago

,iron

o re s,mica,kaolin,

&c . () fthe seven tabl e cases,the fivewindow cases

contain the systemati c coll ecti on of C eyl on mineral s, beginningw i th the el ements in the first case on the left -hand , and ending wi thzircons

,&c . ,

in the fifth case on the r ight . The two central casescontain the recent fossi l s, and col lecti ons of a general characteri l lustrating the geol ogy and mineralogy of C eylon . Some large andinteresting specimen s are al so accommodated on the floor . Geol ogical photographs and others i l lustrating the processe s ofgemming and iron smelting are hung upon the w alls . The collect ion has been arranged and largely added to by the staff of theMineralogical Survey in 1903 1904.

G IANT T O RT O IS E O F AL DABRA .

(S eep age

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

68 S PO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

nouri shmen t that should go to the bui ld ing up of the ti ssues ofthe host

,unti l eventually the latte r dies of inan i tion . This

col l apse seldom occurs unti l the contained parasi te (or parasi tes)i s ready to undergo transformati on into the pupal state . In theI chneumonidae proper the ful l -grow n l arva usually spins acompact cocoon ei ther with in the carcass O f i ts v i ctim or by theside of it .The early s tages of these parasi tes are not i nvariably passed

within the body of the host . Three di stinct conditions havebeen noticed

(1) Both egg and larva may be inter ior .(2 ) The egg may be exterior and the lar va interi o r .(3) Egg and larva may both be compl etely exteri or .

' Thi s last condi t ion may be observed in the case of theparasite of one of our principal t ea pests

,the “ Tea Tortrix”

(C ap ua cofi‘

ea r ia , Ni e t . ) The egg of thi s u sefu l l ittl e parasite i sattached to the back of the caterpi l lar, j ust behind the head .

The young grub fixes i tsel f in the same pos ition and completesi ts grow th ,fully exposed , except for the l eafy shel ter constructedby the host . It i s noticeab le that even those speci es that attachtheir eggs to the surface of the caterpi l l ars are st i l l provided witha wel l-developed piercing oviposito r . With the parasite O f theTortrix thi s weapon i s employ ed in pi ercing the l eafy coveringwhich conceal s the vi ctim . I t is remarkabl e

,al so

,that the

periodical moulting of the caterpi l lar does not di sl odge theparasite .Besi de s true i nsects, Spiders are subj ect to the attacks of

Ichneumon fli e s .E . E . G .

F IRS T PAPE R .

O ur knowledge of the Hymenoptera of C eylon, and more particularly o f the plan t - feeding and parasi ti c species , i s very l imited .

There i s a paper by the Russian E ntomologi st V . M otsulsky

in the Bul l . de la S oc . Imp . d es Natur . de Moscow ,XXXVI

1863, w herein sixty-one parasitic speci e s a re described,includ

ing many new gene ra . The descriptions, however, leave muchto be desired , whil e i t i s doubtfu l i f many of the species havebeen referred to thei r proper genera . M otsulsky , for exampl e ,descri bes two specie s of M icroga ster , but al l the speci es I haveseen , or have been descri bed by recent wr i ters , belong, no t toiM icrogaster , but to the al l ied genus Apanteles . C onsequen t l y onei s in doubt i f the Species descr ibed by M o tsu lsky belong toM icroga ster as now l imi ted, o r to Ap omteles , o r even to some newgenus ; as i s probably the case with the specie s I have in this

PH YT O PH AG O US AND PARA S IT IC H YM E NO PT E RA . 69

paper doubtfu l l y referred to M icroga s ter . The same remarkappl i es to the species of M icr oga stez ' described by Walker . Thesystematic posi ti on of some of the genera descr ibed by the RussianHymenopteri st i s al so doubtfu l in some cases . Thus hi s genusC a lliop ter oma , referred by him to the Ichneumonidce, bel ongs tothe E ncyr tidce (Cha lezdidce) accord ing to that eminent authori tyDr . Wm. H . Ashmead, of. Proc . U : S . Nat . Mu s . XXI II 152 . Thelate Mr . Franci s Walker descr ibed (Ann . Mag . Nat. Hist . 1860,

a number Ofspecies and some new genera,none of which I

have been abl e to identify,nor has Dr . Ashmead, l.o. ,

been able torefer them to their proper tribes . I do not know where Walker’stypes are . Apparent ly they are not in the Bri ti sh Museum,

otherwi se C o l. C . T . Bingham would have described the aculeates

in hi s work on the Aculeate Hymenoptera of Briti sh India andC eylon . In that work he has mere ly reproducedWa lker’s descr iptions . I have myself (Manchester Memoirs) descr ibed a few speciestaken by Mr . G . A . J . Rothney and by C ol. Y erbury , and i n Proc .

U . S . Nat . Mus . XVI II . , Dr . Ashmead has descri bed some species,mostly reared from L epidoptera and C occidae, taken or bred byMr . G reen . And some speci e s have been described by J . 0.

Westwood in hi s Thesaurus E ntomologicus O xon iensis . Fromw hat I have said it i s evident that our information regarding theHymenoptera of C eylon i s O f a very restr i cted nature— a remarkthat appli e s wi th even more force to S outhern India .

The fol l ow ing specie s are here de s cribedS IRIC IDZE .

1. Xiphydri a striatifrons,n . sp .

B E T H Y L INZE .

E py ri s foveatus , n . sp .

3. Rhacoteleia pi l osa, n . g . et sp .

C H AL O IDIDJE .

4. Spilomegastigmus ruficeps , n . g . et sp .

E VANIIDzE .

E van i a in tersti tial is,n . ep .

E van i a peradeniyae, n . sp .

G asteruption tr ico lo ratum, n . sp .

G asterup tion ceylonicum,n . sp .

A G A 'I‘

H IDINE .

9 . Agathis kandyensis , n . sp .

10. Agathis oya,n . sp .

Agathis ceylonicus, n . sp .

12 . M icrodus greeni , n . sp .

70 SPO L IA Z E YL ANICA .

C H E L O NINJE .

C helonus tricoloratus,n . sp .

14. Phomerotoma hendecasi sella, n . Sp .

C ARDIO C H IL INZE .

E rnes tiella nigromaculata, n . g . et Sp .

M IC R O G AS T E R INZE .

Microgaster carin ico llis,n . sp .

B RAC O NINZE .

Iph iaulax xanthopsi s,n . sp .

Iph iaulax fulvop ilosus , n . sp .

Iphiaulax greeni , n . Sp .

Iph iaulax ernesti , n . sp .

Iph iaulax kirbyi , n . Sp .

Iph iaulax erythroura , n . sp .

Iph iaulax haragamensi s, n . S p .

Rhacospath ius str iolatus, n . g . et sp .

Ph ilomacroploea bas imacula, n . g . et sp .

RH O G ADINE .

Parasp inar ia pi l osa, n . g . et sp .

27. H olcobracon fulvus,n . g . et sp .

28 . T ropobracon l uteus, n . g . et sp .

T roporhogas sp ilonotus, n . g . et sp .

30. T rO porhogas albipes, n . sp .

31. T roporhogas macul i penni s, n . Sp .

32 . T roporhogas tri col or, n . sp .

33. T rO porhogas ruficep s, n . Sp .

T roporhogas l aterali s, n . sp .

T rO porhogas trimacu lata, n . Sp .

C RY P T INZE .

B athycrisis striaticolli s , n . g . et sp .

S IRIC IDZE .

1.- X ip hydm

’

a str ia tifrons, sp . nov .

Pla te A,fig. 1.

Black, a large i rregul ar mark,broader than l ong,on the face, twosmal l irregular obl ique marks above the antennae

,a line on the

inne r eye orbits,with a rounded proj ecting poin t in the middle

and di lated above ; on the outer S i de the line i s continued hal fway up the eyes

,the upper part proj ecting obl iquely outw ards, a

l arge mark on the top of the temples, i rregularly narrowed on theinner side

,the base and lower side ofthe propleurae, the apex, two

smal l S po ts on the base O f the scut el lum ,a small and a large mark

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

72 S PO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

l onger than thi ck . Parapsidal furrows and the transverse furrowat the base of scute l lum wide and deep . Po st-scutel lum with adeep , semi-c ircular fovea in the centre at the base . A deep transverse furrow at the base of the metanotum

,widened lateral ly and

bounded at the apex by a stout keel . Me tanotumwith a s tout keeldown the middle

,stou tly tran sversely striated the api cal s l ope

finely transver sely stri ated i n the middle . Pro and meso -pleuraesmooth ; a deep oval fovea near the centre of the mesopleurae,

with a smal le r one below Shortly beyond the middle i s a deepd ep ression finely striate d in the centre, rounded below , where i ti s wider than i t i s above . M etapleurae finely , cl osely striat ed .

First abdominal stoutly keeled i n the middl e at the base and witha narrower keel on ei ther side ; the apex te staceous . Fore l egsand femora S lender . Api cal tooth of mandibles l ong, sharp lypointed

,the others indi st inct . C lypeus proj ecting, round l y

narrowed at the apex . Basal absci ssa of radi us straight , obl iquely sloped the apical round ly curved .

Thi s i s no t a true E pyr is but having on ly a singl e 6, I do notcare to found a new genus on it . I t has practical l y only onel ong tooth on the mandibles

,and in the clypeus proj ecting at the

apex i t d iffers from the typical Species .

Rhacotelez’

a ,gen . nov .

Sub-marginal nervure l ong,l onger than the others un ited,

marginal nervure very short,half the l ength of the st igma] ,which

has aknobat the end, the post marginal abou t three times the l engthof stigma] branch . Antennae 13-j ointed, the last six forming ac l ub . Mesonotum and scutell um flat, the parapsidal f urrowsd i stinct, crenulated . Abdomen l ongish, longer than the head andthorax un i ted

,convex above and bel ow , the sides margined

se ssi l e,the basal segment strongly stri ated, the striae distinct and

cl early separated ; the base of the second segment depressed, stoutly stri ated the base of. the first c l e arly margined . M esopleurae

largel y and deeply excavated . S cutel l um broader than long ,transverse at the base and apex,

where there i s a crenulated furrow .

The third abdominal segment i s l onger than the second and fourth ,which are about the same s ize . Antennae inserted immediatelyover the mouth the scape long . L egs S l ender, al l the tibiae onespurred, the

basal j oint of hind tibiae as l ong as the others united,about three times longer than the second .

Metanotum rugoselypunctured

,shorter than the scute l l um , depressed and transver se

at the apex.

The head is large,rounded in front, transverse behi nd ; the

occiput margined temples wide ; ocel l i in a triangl e, the binder

P H YT O P H A G O US AND PAR AS IT IC H YM E NO PT E R A .

almost touching the eyes . Prothorax small . Malar space large .E yes gradual ly narrowed from above downwards . The wings,when folded

,do not reach t o the apex of the abdomen .

Al l i ed to M a croteleia and C hromoteleia from the former i tmay be known by the st igma] vein i ssu ing from near the submarginal

,the marginal being very short as i t i s i n C hromotelez’a ,

but that has two distinct basal ’ c‘el lu le s ; from both i t may beknown by the strongly str iated basal segments of the abdomen .

3.—Rhaooteleia p i losa ,

sp . nov .

Plate A, fig. 2 .

Black,cove red with white pubescence , the antennae except the

apical five or six j o ints and the l egs , except the coxm rufote staceous

,wings hya l ine , the nervures testaceous , 6and 9 .

L ength 4mm .

Peradeniya, August .Vertex finely , close ly aciculated ; the front irregular ly rugosely

punctured ; malar Space c lo s ely, obl i quely stri ated . Apex ofmandibl es broadly rufous . Hind edge of vert ex c losely

,finely

reti cul ated ; occiput shin ing, finely clo sely , transverse ly striated .

Mesonotum and scute l lum w i th shall ow moderately close,round

punctures, thi ckl y covered with white pubescence lateral l obesof mesonotum clear l y separated from the midd le one ; on theouter s ide they are bordered by a crenulated furrow . Apex ofscutel l um bordered by a smooth , Shining keel . The depressionbordering i ts sides with stout cl early-separated keels . Pl euraefinely rugose, the mesopleura] depression shi ning, bare , its S idesobscurely stri ated . The third and fol low ing abdominal segmen t sdi stinctly cl ose ly punctured . Mesosternum strongly closelypunctured . Ventral surface of abdomen closely punctured

,

thickly covered with w hite pubescence .

The pedicle of the antennae i s about three times longer thanthick the first j oint of flagel l um i s l onger than the second andnot quite double the length of the pedicl e . The club i s clear lydefined i ts last j oint conical . The apice s of the abdominalsegment s are smooth and Shining the ov iposi tor i s longe r thanusual . The 6appears to have the front more s trongly rugoselyreti culated than th e 9 .

C H AL C IDIDAB .

Sp i lomega s tigmus , gen . nov .

Mandibles bidentate, the tee th blunt . Head and thorax smooth ,the mesonotum only sl ightly transversely striated . S cutel lumsmooth

,without a transverse furrow . Antennae l ong

,the scape

74 SPO L IA z aY L ANIO A .

s lender,i ts apex reaching to the hinder ocel l i . Hypopygium

long, pl ough-share Shaped . L egs long and sl ender . Apex ofcl ypeus roundly i nci sed .

Thi s new genus cannot wel l be confounded with any of thedescribed gene ra of M egastz

‘

gmince. I t comes nearest t o M ega s

tigmus , which may be known from it by the punctured scute l lumwith a transverse furrow at the apex

,by the distinc tly 3-den tate

mandibl es and by the shorter antennal scape,the top of wh ich

does not reach to the oce l l i . C harac teri sti c i s the Spottedabdomen , the red head and the thorax, and the proj ectingcul tri form hypopygium .

4.—Sp i lomegastigmus r ufi cep s, Sp . nov .

Plate A, fig. 3.

Black,the head , antennal scape , prothorax,

mesonotum,the

upper part of the mesopleurae at the base , and scutel l um ,red the

l egs yel low,the femora s l ightly t inged with rufous ; on the s ides

of the abdomen are four yel l ow marks , the second i s larger androunder than the others

,the ap i cal two longer and narrow er

than the basal,the wings hyaline , the ne rvu res and stigma black

there i s a S l ightly obl ique c loud , narrowed below, at the stigma, 9 .

L ength 6; oviposi tor 11mm.

Kandy,Ju ly .

Front excavated in the mi dd le w i th a keel down the centre , thes ides roundly convex

,proj ec ting b e yond the eyes ; infuscated .

Head much wider than the thorax. Mandib l es and sides ofc lypeus bl ack . Mesonotum transverse ly str iated , but no t c loselyor s trongly . S cutel l um perfectly smooth . M esopleurae obscure lystriated . Sheath of ovi posi tor fringed with l ong black hai r .

E VANIID/E .

5.- E vania inter s ti tia lz

’

s, sp . nov.

Red the head and abdomen , except the petio l e, black, th e fou rfront legs and hind coxae rufous, the rest o f hind legs black .

excep t the trochan ters which are red, mixed with black, the basalhal f of metatarsu s and cal car ia w hi ch are testaceous and a broadband on the base O f the tibiae , which is white ; wings hyal in e ,the nervu re s black, the seven or eight basal j oints o f antennaetestaceous beneath , 5.

L ength 5mm .

Pundalu -oya, O ctober .Antenna] s cap e as l ong as the fol l owing two j oints united the

pedicl e and firs t j oint of flagel l um as long as the second un i ted .

Head thickly covered wi th w hi te pi le the front and ve rtexsmooth and shining the face, o ral regi on and malar space closely ,

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

76 S PO L IA ZE YL ANIC A .

Front and vertex smooth and shin ing . Hind oce l li separatedfrom each other by a S l ightly greater di s tance than they arefrom the eyes , which conve rge very sl ightly above . Shouldersbroadlv rounded . Mesonotum with a regular row of puncture son the inner side of the furrow s and a l ess regul ar one on theou ter the lateral l obe sminutely c l osely punctured in the centre .

S cutel l um w i th a broad smooth band in the middle,the sides

strongly punctured . Hinde r divi sion of propleurae rugoselypunctured . M esopleurae with round closely pressed punctures ,except for an O bli que smooth band in the middle and a smal lertriangular space on the uppe r side at the apex . Anter i o r ti biaeand tarsi testaceous, middl e trochan ters pal e

.

testaceous ; themiddle coxae and the underside of the hinder pai r at the baserufous ; the base of the hind tibiae and of the hind tar si white ;the Spurs testaceous ; the l ong spur of the hinder about tw o

thirds O f the l ength of the metata rsus ; tibiae and tarsi sparselyspinose . Recurrent nervure received shortly beyond the tran sverse cubital ; l ow er par t of the apical absci ssa of the radiu sbroadl y

,roundly curved . Abdominal petiol e above finely cl osely

s triated ; the side s with two stou t keel s, w hich become stoutertowards the apex. Hind coxae above at the base coarse ly punctured

,

the middle cl osely obl iquely stri ated . Ap ical branches of

rnetasternalprocess, straight, obl iquely diverging .

C omes close to E . ery throsoma , S ch . , al so from C eyl on I t ma rbe known inter a lia from our specie s by i ts perfectly smoothabdominal peti ol e .

7. G a s terup tion tr icolora tum,sp . nov .

Black , densely covered w i th S i lvery pubescence ; the four frontcoxae black , the f emora rufo - testaceous , the tibiae fu scous, broadlyw hite at the base , the fore tarsi w hi te , the middl e white, infuscated at the apex,

the hind l egs black , except for a narrow whiteband near the base O f the tibiae . Mandibl es te staceous

,tinged

w ith yel l ow in the middle, the teeth darker col oured pal pi paletestaceous

,w ings cl ear hyal ine, the nervure s bl ack ; apex of

ovi posi tor testaceou s , 9 .

L ength 12 mm . ovi positor 12 mm .

Peraden iya, May .

Head smooth and Shining, covered with a si l very pi l e . H indo cel l i separated from each othe r by the length of the antenna ]scape . Thorax thickly covered w i th si lve ry pubescence ; thepro and mesonotum with round, cl early separated Shal lowpunctures ; O paque, granular . S cutel lum w i th a row O f round

,

deep foveae along the s ide s . Metanotum w ith a deep shin ing

PH YT O PH AG O US AND PARAS IT IC H Y M E NO P’I‘E RA . 77

furrow dow n the middle : the rest irregularl y reticulated . Thethi rd j oin t of the antennas i s about one half the l ength of thefourth , and twice the l ength of the pedic l e . Apical half of

mesopleurae obscurely reti cu lated on the apex i s a deep , shining,smooth furrow . S econd discoidal cel lu l e d ivided .

8 .— G a s lerup tion cey lomcmn, sp . nov.

Black,the mesopleurae and mesosternum fe rruginous the legs

bl ack, the fore coxae ferruginous, the fo re femora fuscous ; thebase of the fore tibiae and of the tarsi more broadly

,white the

h ind tibiae w hite on the under S i de a t the base . Wings clearhyal ine , the nervures black, the second di scoidal cel lul e divi ded,9 .

L ength 13mm terebra 13mm.

Pundalu -ova . February .

Third j oin t of antennae as l ong as t he scape,more than hal f the

l ength of the fourth and not tw ice the l ength of the pedicle .

Mandibles rufous . C en tre of clypeu s covered with pal e goldenpubescence . Hind o ce l l i separated by the l ength of the th irdantennal j oint . Thorax thi ckly covered wi th si lvery pubescence .

Pronotum stout ly kee l ed dow n the middle . Middl e l obe ofmesonotum cl osely finely transversely s triated the apex coarsely,i r regularly ret iculate d ; the furrows border ing the middl e l obecrenulated ; the furrow s border ing the scutel lum indistinct .Metanotum close ly transverse ly reti culated and with a smoothl ine down the middle . Shoulders w i th strong

,stout teeth ; the

part behind these c losely , i rregular ly reticu lated , the middledepression crenulated . L ower half of mesopleurae reti cul ated .

A G AT H IDINJE .

9 .—Aga this kandyensis , sp . nov .

L uteous , the antennae, the hind tibiae and the hind tarsi blackw ings hyal ine

,the base tinged w i th yel low , 3 large cloud at the

base of the stigma,broade st behind and the apex from near the

second cubital cel l ul e dark smoky, the hind wings wi th a faint.smoky cloud at the apex, 6.

L ength 7mm .

Kandy , May to August .Head covered with Short fuscous hai r, l ower part of occiput

and the malar Space dist inctly keeled . Pro and mesothoraxclosely and rather strongly punctured ; the middle lobe raisedin the centre, depressed on e ither S i de . S cutel lum stronglyand close ly punctured ; i ts apex roundly proj ecting. Base ofmetanotum oblique ly depressed , irregu lar ly reticulated themiddle strongly i rregularly areolated the centra l area irregular ;

78 SPO L IA ZE YL ANIC A.

that next to the spi racu l ar triangular, w i th a curved keel on theinnerside ; the apical s lope bordered by areas w hich are w ides tbelow ; the centre w i th some i rregu lar keels . Pleurae stronglyand cl ose ly punctured the crenulated fu rrow on themesopleurae

w i de , w i th strong striae there i s an obl ique k ee l on the centre ofthe metapleu rze .

10.

— Aga tlns oya , S p . nov .

L ength mm . , 9 and 6.

Kandy , July and August . Pundalu - oya , M av .

Thi s Species i s very s imilar to the preceding i t may be know nby the apex on ly of the hind tibiae being black ; bv the middlel obe of mesonotum being smooth and not rai sed in the centre

,by

the central area on the metanotum being distinct ly divided in toa l arge basal and a smal ler apical area ; i t i s j oined to the base ofthe metanotum by a V- shaped area the lateral area i s tr iangu lar ;on the apical slope i s a V- shaped area bordered by a mo reirregu lar V-shaped one . Wings yel low i sh hyal ine

,with the

costa,stigma

,and nervures ye ll ow on the hyal ine parts the first

c loud commences at the tran sverse basal and median nervures , andi s narrow ed in front, the ap ical at the end of the stigma ; thenervu res in the hind w ings are yell ow ,

w i th a slight c loud at theapex . Parapsidal furrows faintly stri ated .

l l .—Aga thi3 eeylonicus , sp . nov .

L u teou s , the greater part of the vertex,upper par t of occiput

,

the third and fol l ow ing segment s of abdomen and the hind tibiaeand tarsi

,black ; the wings yel low i sh hyal ine, the apex w i th a

fu scous cloud , commencing at the end of the radi al ce l lu l e therei s a smal l square black mark at the base of the stigma

, 9 .

L ength 7mm .

Kandy , July .

The black antennae thickly cove red with short,stiff pubescence

they are bro wn i sh tow ard s the apex . Face and clypeus thi cklycovered w i th w hi te, the upper part of vertex and occi put withfuscou s pubescence . Thorax smooth and shining

,above thickly

covered with w hite pubescence . Apex of scutel lum bifoveate,

the foveae shal low . O n the base of the metanotum are three smal lareas ,

the cen tral the smal l er, w i th the S i des rounded narrowedtoward s the base , the l atera l l onger, obl i quely narrowed towardsthe apex ou tside these i s a triangular area with

‘

the apex on theinner side the central are a on the apical S lope i s tr iangular thetw o areas outside thi s are open below the outer area large

,with

three angles on the ou ter side .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

80 S PO L IA ZE YL ANIC A .

l4.— P haner oloma hendeca s isella . Sp . nov .

Pal l i d fer ruginous to pal e testaceous,the apical segment

ferruginous antennae in fuscated at the apex w ings clearhyal ine, the stigma and n ervures fu scou s , the fo rmer paler at. thebase and apex

, 6and 9 .

L ength 3to 4mm .

Peraden iya July to December .Bred from beans (C a na va lm,

sp .) bored by minute pyralidand from buds ofJa sminumpubescens i nfested by larvae ofH ende

casis dup lzfa soia li s, H mp sn .

Antennae 23-j ointed , l onge r than the body . Head shagreened ;temples roundly narrowed , occiput de eply roundly inci sed ; clypeu s shin ing

,almost smoo th , thickly covered w i th l ong pale hai r ;

its sides above with a la rge , deep fovea . Mesonotum coarse lyshagreened

,i ts apex obscu re ly s triated parapsidal furrows onlv

indi cated . The suture at the base of scu tellum crenu lated .

S cute l lum tr iangu l ar ; i ts lateral sl ope stoutly obliquely s triatedat i ts apex i s a broad shin ing black transverse stripe . Metanotum more coarsely shagreened— almost punctured— than themesonotum : the re i s a not ve ry strong transverse keel acros sthe middle , above the apical sl ope ; the s ides below this proj ectinto a blunt tooth or tubercle . Apex of prO pleurae obscurelystriated the lower part, at the apex , depressed ,w i th a few distinctshort kee l s . Basal two segments of abdomen shagreened the

apical at the base finely, closelv reticulated— punctured,the

middl e and , to a less extent, the apex, finely,c losely, longi tudi

nal ly s triated the dorsal sutures obscurely crenulated . S econdcubi tal ce l lu le much narrow ed at the apex,

the nervures almosttouching there ; the basal absci ssa of the radius bound ing i t i ss traight and sharp ly obl i que, the abscissa of the cubi tus broadlyroundly curved

,pale at the base the recurrent nervure intersti

tial ; i t and the first t ran svers e cubital nervure are pale,but qu ite

c learly defined . T he apex of the hind femora and the h ind tibiaeferruginous ; the extreme base of the latter and a broad bandabove the middle are pal li d, almost white . The basal d epressionof the abdomen is bordered by a keel

,w hich is very faint , ifno t

absent from the middle .

The first and second absci ssae of the radi us are roundly curveddownw ards , the two forming an arc of a circle the first transverse cubital nervure i s straight , obli que to the stigma, thenbends to run al ong side i t to the radius, which i t j o ins close toi t s base

,qui te cl o se to the stigma . The wings are unclouded and

h ighly i ridescent . The second transverse cubital nervure i sve ry faint and not ha l f the l e ng th of the recurrent nervure .

P H Y’

I‘

O PH AG O U S AND PARAS I'

I‘

IC H YM E N O PT E RA .

C ARDIO C H IL INZE .

E rnestiella , gen . nov .

E yes pi lose . Malar S pace l arge . Front not much excavated,w i thout keel s . S econd cub ital cel l ule l arge, much l onger thanw ide , w ider at the base that at the apex radius roundly curvedtow ards the costa . Transversemedi an nervure received in the firstcubital cel lu l e

,cl early d istant from the transverse basal ; the

recurren t nervure received in the fi rst cubital cel lu le . Radialcel lule in hind wings divided . Metanotum areolated . Suturiform art icu l ati on distinct . Abdomen short ov iposito r short .Trophi elongate .

The first and second cubital cel lules are separated . Parapsida lfurrow s deep

,the mesonotum di stin ctly tri l obate the scute l lum

rai sed,not keeled . Areola large ,7- angl ed . T heface i s not somuch

lengthened as in Aga this , the malar spac e being about one - thi rdof the l ength of the eyes . Apex ofclypeu s broadly rounded ; i t i sseparated from the face by a furrow and i s broader than long .

Anal nervure in fore w ings interst i tial . Antennae about 40j o inted . Prodisco idal cel l ul e open at apex the re i s a l arge cel l uleat the base of hind wings . Hind calcar i a l ong .

15.— E rnestz

’

ella nigr omaou la ta ,sp . nov.

L u teous ,a l arge broad mark enclo sing the ocel l i , three l arge markson the mesonotum, the central the large r, the greater part of themesosternum

,the antennae and mandibular tee th

,black wings

hyal ine, the apex broadly i nfuscated , stigma black, yellowi sh at

the base ; the nervu res testaceous, the radiu s pa l e at th e base .

Smooth , shining covered w i th pale hair . Parap sidal furrowscrenulated at the apex . S cutel l ar depress ion w i th six stou t keel s .Behind the l arge7-angled area on themetanotum are two small onesobl iquely narrow ed behind ; on the sid es three large i rregular oneson the sides of the api cal sl ope a large one, obl iquely narrowedon the o u ter side , the apex of the middl e transverse . M etapleurae

obscure ly reti cu l ated . First di sco idal ce llu l e at apex half thewidth it i s at the base . Propleurae deeply excavated , striated below .

L ength 6mm .

Pundalu-oya, March .

M IC RO G AS 'rna i N/ic.

16.— M ifcr oga ster ca r inicollis , sp . nov .

Areo let l arge , rounded in front, transverse be low cubitus distinct

,radius faint at the base ; three cubi tal cel l s . Antennae s tout,

l onger than the body, l 9 -j ointed . C lypeus not separated from theface

,foveate at the S ides above . S cutel lar depression , with a row

of stout keel s ; the apex is bordered by a simi lar row of keels .

82 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

Me tano tum k eeled dow n the middl e the apical slope stoutl y reticulated , almost areo lated eyes vi l l ose mal ar Space large . Firstabdominal segment with the central area bordered by keel s andwi th a shorter kee l in the centre . S uturiformarti cul at ion di stinct .Mesopl eural furrow want ing . Tibial spurs sho r t, about one - fourthof the l ength of the metatarsus . There i s a narrow,

but distinc tkeel round the cen tre of the prothorax . Radius and cubitus inhind wings indistinct . S hortly below the middle of the mesopleu

rte i s a furrow which bi furcates at the apex . O n the mesonotum ,

in the centre , are three furrow s , central being the shorter and i ti s al so l ess di stinct . Apices of tarsal join ts spinose .

Black ; palpi and four front legs testaceous ; the hind femora andthe abdomen

,except at the base, red the basal tw o - thi rds of the

hind tibim and the cal caria w hi te , w ings hy aline, the nervuresand stigma black

,the latter white at the base . Head and thorax

densely covered w i th w hite pubescence, almo s t opaque . Metanot um depressed at the base . The depressi on at base of postscutel lum w i th fou r stou t keel s . Po st- scutel lum depre ssed at thebase . Frontal depression cl ear ly separated , deep , s tou tly keel edin the middle . L ast j o in t of tarsi one-hal f longe r than penultimate .

L ength nearly 5mm .

T his spec ies comes clo sest to M icr oga ster as now defined , bu t i snot qu i te typical .Bred from larva of Da sycht

'

r a secures . June .

B RAC O NINZE .

l7.— Ip hia ulax xcmthop sis , sp . nov .

L uteous , the face , oral region , malar space and inner upper eyeorbi ts

,yel low ; the antennae very long , black hind tarsi fuscous

w ings yel lowish hyal ine to the mi ddle of the transverse basalnervure beyond that black i sh- fuscous the upper part of the firstcubi tal cel lu le and a spot below the first transverse cubi ta l nervurehyal ine basal hal f of stigma l uteous , 9 .

L ength 11; terebra 4 mm .

E l ephan t Pass , March .

Face smooth,densely covered with l ong pal e hair . Fron tal

fu rrow narrow ve rtex thick l y covered w i th l ong fuscoushai r . Thorax smooth ; impunctate , the median segment thicklycovered with l ong pale hai r . Abdomen ovate , broader than thetho rax,

sho rt ; the area on the first segmen t longi tudinal ly rugoselys tri olated a kee l in the cent re ; basal depression smooth . Basal areaon the second segment closely stri ated , not much narrowed tow ardsthe apex ; no t l imited at the apex ; the res t of the segment and thethird clo sely , strongly , rugose ly , punctured ; the late ral dep ressi on

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

84 SPO L IA ZE YL ANIC A .

reaching beyond the middle of the segment, becoming gradual lynarrowed to a fine po int and continued to the apex by a keel i tsbase ie irregularly l ongitudinal ly stri ated the depressi on bordering it cl osely strongly transversely striated on the outer side i sa l ong pyriform fovea . Suturiform articulati on wide, closely ,strongly striated ; the furrow on the apex of the thi rd segmentand on the base of the fourth are striated ; on the apex of thefourth i s a smooth furrow ; the thi rd segment i s strongly and

closely str iated,but not so strongly , as the second ; the fourth i s

more finely and cl ose ly striated . Hind tibiae and tarsi d enselycovered with b lack hair . Apex of sheaths of oviposi tor white .Apical abscissa of radiu s curved , sl ightly l onger than the basal twounited ; received in the apex of the first cubital cel lul e

,clearly

distant from the first transverse cubital nervure .

20.— Iphz

'

au lax ernesti , Sp . nov .

Head and thorax red the four fron t l egs y el l ow,thei r coxa

tinged wi th rufous,hind legs fuscous bl ack ; wings fuscous,

hyal ine,highly ir idescent, the nervure s and stigma black , 9 .

L ength 8 terebra 12 mm .

Peradeniya, O ctober .Face rugose, thi ckly cove red with l ong fu scous hair . Temples

obl iquely narrowed . Antenna] scape rufous,about four time s longerthan thi ck, of equal width throughou t . Front deep ly furrow ed .

Middle area of first segment with two keel s,which unite i nto one

shortly beyond the middl e ; i t s si des margined and there i s acurved kee l which run s from the central two before they un i tethe lateral furrows with s ome scattered transverse keel s . Thearea on the second segment becomes gradual ly narrowed to a finepoint sho rt ly beyond the mi ddl e the base finely

,distinctly

striated ; the depression bordering i t has some transverse , notvery distinct, striae outsi de i t are four curved longi tudinal str iaethe fovea on the outer si de i s rounded at the apex and i s of equalwidth . The thi rd segm e nt is c l osely, strongly longitudinal lystr iated the sutur iform articulation

,the furrow at the apex of the

third and at the base of the fourth are str iate d that on the apexof the fourth is smooth there i s a J—shaped striated furrow on thesides of the second segmen t at the base the basal two -thi rds ofthe fourth segment i s finely

,l ongi tudinall y striated .

A much smal ler and more sl enderly-bui lt speci e s than I . gr een i,

the fore l egs are y el l ow, not rufous the antennal scape i s moresl ender and does not proj ect at the apex, and the first and secondabdominal segments are finely sparsely striated , not coarselystriated and reti culated .

PH YT O PH AG O US AND PAR ASIT IC H YM E NO PT E R A .

21.-Ip hiau lax K i rby/i , sp . nov .

L uteous ; antennae black ; wings yel lowish -hyal ine , the apexwith a fuscous border the base and apex of stigma black , therest of i t and t he nervures yel l ow

,a smal l b lack c loud at the base

of the first cubi tal ce l lu l e,be tw een the radius and the cubi tus , 9 .

L ength 9 mm. ; terebra 7mm .

Kandy .

Sparsely covered with fulvous pubescence . Face i rregular lyrugose, covered with pal e pubescence . Fron t and vertex smoothand shining

,bare ; the former deeply depressed w i th a deep,

clear l y defined furrow in the centre . First and second absci ssaof radius uni ted equal in l ength to the th i rd ; the cloud at thestigma may be continued along the basal absci ssa of cubi tus .

Middl e area of first abdominal segment i rregu l ar ly, l ongi t udinal lystri ated

,in termixed wi th some transverse str iae ; the l ateral de

pression wi th some transver se keel s the second segment coarselyreti culated in the middle the basal area triangular

,smooth the

oblique furrow on the lateral depressi on crenul ated the keel atthe basal area short, indistinct . Suturiform art i cul ation stou tlycrenul ated , as are al so the furrows on the apex of the th ird andf ourth segments they are close ly punctured .

22 .— Iphiau lax erythr our a ,

sp . nov .

7

Plate A,fig. 7.

Head , thorax, antennal scape and four front l egs rufotestaceousthe abdomen black, the fifth and fol l owing segments br ightferruginous, the hy popygium paler, more yellowi sh at the basewings ye l lowish-hyaline, paler at the apex ; the middle tibiaecovered thickl y w ith pal e pubescence the hinder st i l l morethickly with longer black hai r, 9 .

L ength 12 mm . ; terebra 17mm .

Kandy .

Antennal scape thickly covered with long fulvous hair . Facecoarse ly rugose ly reticulated . Thorax smooth and shining ; theapex of median segment black . The central area of basalsegment of abdomen stout ly keeled in the midd le the keelbordered by stout obl ique str iae . The second segment i s s tronglyl ongitudinal ly str iated the basal area smal l , tr iangular, smooth ,fol l owed by a stout kee l which runs to the smooth apex the thirdi s s imi l ar ly striated

,but wi th a broader smooth apical area ; both

segments are depressed lateral ly ; the suturiformarticulation wide ,deep ; on the fourth segment, shor tly behind themi ddle, i s a transverse rfurrow which is irregularl y striated i n the middle . T he

basal absci ssa of the rad ius is broadly roundly curved towards

86 SPO L IA ZE YL ANIC A .

the stigma ; transverse medi an nervure received shortly beyondthe transvers e basal . O cci put transverse i n the middl e

,the sides

broadly rounded .

C haracteri stic of thi s speci es i s the broadly rounded basalabsci s sa— not straight and ob l ique as usual— ofthe radius and thefact of the transverse median nervure being received short lybeyond the transverse ‘basal . The recurrent nervure i s interstitial. The densely haired hind tibiae are al so noteworthy .

23.— Iphiau lax ha ragamens is, sp . nov .

Bl ack ; the base and basal hal f of the sides of the ventra lsurface l acteous w ings fuscous-hyal ine, the nervures and stigmablack , 9 .

L ength 7 terebra mm .

H aragam, July .

Head covered wi th longi sh hair , fuscous, si lvery on the l ow erpart o f the face . Front and vertex smooth ; the former deeplyfurrowed . A reddish spot above each antenna . Palpi black

,

covered with white pubescence . The pleurae and the scutel larregi on marked with rufous . The first and basal hal f of the secondabdominal segment coarsely rugosely punctured the fo l l owingthree strongly, c losel y, l ongi tudinal ly striated ; the furrow s aremore close ly str iated the last segment w hite - lead coloured

,finely

,

closely , transverse ly striated . Abdomen broad . ovate,as l ong as

the head and thorax uni ted ; the area on the base o f se condsegment indistinct, smooth at the base, the apex finely striated .

R ha cosp a thius , gen . nov .

Plate A, fig. 4.

Transverse median nervure in fore wings received beyond thetran sverse basal . Metanotum w i th three large closed areas at thebase the central kee l bifu rcates at the apex

,forming a tri angular

area O pen at the apex ; the rest of the segment and the pleu raestr iated . O therwise as in Sp a thius .

24.— Rha oos19a thius str iola tus, sp . nov.

Black, the basal tw o - thi rds of the second abdominal segment andthe l egs red , the fore l egs paler, more y el lowish in tint . Wingshyali ne, the s tigma and nervure s fuscous, 9 .

L ength 7 terebra 5mm .

Kandy, O ctober .Mesonotum , except at the base of the central l obe , closely ,

strongly , irregular ly reticulated . S cutel lum minute ly aciculated,

the sides with a row offoveas. Metanotum irregularly stri ated and

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

88 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

The long black antennae densely cove red wi th a short w h itemicroscopic pi l e, as are al so the thorax and abdomen . T he upperhal f of pl eurae c losely

,minutely punctured the scutel lum is l ess

di stinctly punctured,i ts s i des densely pi l ose . Metanotum very

smooth and shining . Abdomen very clo se ly, un iformly, andrather strongly punctured the ap ices of the third and fol l ow ingsegments narrowly rufous at the apex . S cutel lum tr i angular,broad at the base . The second cubital c e l lule i s w i dened at thebase

,the fir st transverse cubi tal nervure being ve ry obl i que ly

sl oped . The anal nervure in the fore w ing issues from shortlybelow the middle of the transverse nervure . The low er half ofthe base of themes opleurae i s depres sed compared with the uppe r .

RH O G ADINJE .

Pa r asp ina r ia ,gen . nov .

Abdomen with seven segments the first longer than broad, thecentral area large

,wide ; the second segment without an area

the sides dep ressed at the basal hal f ; ov iposi to r short, hardlyproj ecting . Metanotum irregularl y reticulated the sides at theapex, with a long stout tooth . Hind w ings wi th an enclosedprebrachial ce l lule, reaching shortly beyond the middle of thebasal abscissa of the cubi tu s ; the nervure broadly rounded atthe apex ; the cubi tus and radius complete there are no otherapi cal ne rvures . L ower part of mesopleurae depressed, clearlyseparated from the upper ; the hind edge of mesosternum has astout conical tooth . Radial cel lule l ong reaching to the apex ofthe w ing ; apical absci ssa of cubitus longer than the basal twouni ted ; recurren t nervure received in the first cubital cel lule .Antennae l onger than the body ; temples obl iquely narrowedocciput almost transverse

,margined . Palpi long .

The affiniti es of thi s genus are clearly with Sp inam’

a . Thatgenus may be known from it by the abdomen having onlyfive segments, these being spined and longi tud inal ly striated i tsanal nervure i s in terstit ial and the prothorax h as a spine as arule . The antennae in my genus are placed O pposite the middl eo f the eyes

,which are inci sed . The pronotum is large ; i ts

c entre at the base i s triangular, the rest i s depressed at the sidesand apex . Abdomen as long as the head and thorax united .

26.- Par a3p t

'

na r ia p i losa , sp . nov.

Plate A, fig. 9 .

L uteous ; antennal flagel l um , api cal third of hind tibiae andthe hind tarsi black ; wings hyaline the nervures and stigmayel l ow ; the costa near the s tigma and a smal l square cloudbel ow i t black , 9 .

PH YT O P H A G O US AND PAR AS IT IC H YM E NO PT E RA.

L ength 9 mm .

Kandy , June .S hining

,thickly covered with white pubescence . Parapsidal

furrows deep,the middle lobe of mesonotum cl ear ly raised .

Base of propleura w i th three stout keel s,the middl e one not

reaching, l ike the others, to the lower edge . S cutel lar depressionlarge

,deep

,with a stou t central ké el and a narrower obl ique one

on e ither si de . Metanotum wi th fou r area on the centre of thebasal region ; the basal l arge , longer than broad , the api calsmal ler

,di lated on the outer side ; the other area not cl early

defined . The apical lateral teeth are l arge, l onger than the widthat the base ; they become gradual ly narrowed , with the apexrounded . First abdominal segment irregul arly ret iculated , thesides l ess strongly than the centre the second is al so i rregularlyret i culated ; there i s a keel down the centre, reaching to the apex ;the lateral keel s are stouter and shorter . Suturiform articulati onstoutly

,closely stri ated . The apical depression of the mi ddl e

l obe of mesonotum is reticulated ; there i s a di st inc t furrow onthe apex of the middle l obe . Metasternum bordered by a stoutkeel .

H olcobr acon, gen . nov .

L owe r part of mesopl eura w i th a distinct c renu l ated furrow .

Median segment cl osel y reti culated,keel ed down the middle ;

the sides at the apex below projecting into a blunt tubercle .

Mandibles stout , edentate , the apex transverse in front, oblique ,the basal half sl ightly round ly inci se d . C lypeus separated fromthe face by a depressi on , roundly convex, thi ck ly covered withlong hair . Malar Space longer than the eyes . Temples broad .

O cciput margined,more di stinctly on the sides than above ;

roundly inci sed . S cutel lum flat,l egs stout ; the fo re coxae

largel y proj ect bel ow,the trochanters issu ing from the upper

part ; fore tibia stoutly toothed . Anal nervure in fore wingsintersti tial in the hind w ings there i s a di scoidal nervure whichruns from the pra discoidal to the apex,

there being thus threelongitudinal nervures in the hind w ings there i s a largeclosed pra brach ial cel l ul e , w hich becomes gradual ly widertowards the apex . Abdomen broad , the basal segments c loselystriated suturiform arti culati on deep, round ly curved .

The apical absci ssa of radius reaches to the apex of the wingsand i s twice the l ength of the second ; the transverse mediannervure is received distinctly beyond the tran sverse basal ; therecurrent i n the first cubital cel lule .There are three genera know n to me w hich possess the anomalous

character of having a curved nervure issuing from the prabrach ial

90 S PO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

transver se nervure to the apex of the hind wings . These generamay be separated as foll ows

(a ) Hind coxa with tw o C am.

(b) Hind coxa toothless . Apex of mandibles stoutlytoothed sides of median segment toothed at the sidesabove the apex, the scutel lum

Apex of mandibl es not toothed, transve rse ; si des ofmetanotum not too thed above ; the scute l lum quite

These three genera fo rm a natural tribe,H olcobra conini , al l i ed

to Doryctim’

,which shoul d be readi ly know n by the hind

w ings having three longitudinal nervu res running to the apexof the w ings ; the abdomen sessi l e, the mesopleura with adistinct crenulated furrow along the lower border, the metanotumtoothed or tubercul ated above or below ,

closely reticu lated andthe basal three segments of abdomen l ong itudinal ly striated

,

wi th a distinct curved crenulated suturiform articu l ation and

obl ique fu rrows as in Iphiau lax,and stou tly toothed fore tibiae .

27.— H olcobmconfu lvus, sp . nov .

Plate A,fig. 6.

Rufo -fulvous , the antenna black ; wings ye l l owish-hyal ine tonear the apex of the transverse basal nervure, with an oblique

,

i rregular cloud in the first cubital cel lule , extending bel ow in tothe di scoidal the stigma luteous hind w ings y el l owi sh -hyal ine ,the apical thi rd smoky , 9 .

L ength 18 mm .

Kandy,November .

Body and legs thickly covered w i th long pal e pubescence .Face and oral regi on closely, finely rugose , thickly covered wi thfu scous pubescence

,the clypeus wi th long fu scous hai r . Front

and vertex smooth , shining , almost bare . Pronotum punctured,

the punctures large,cl early separated , and each with ailongish hair .

Mesonotum and scutel lum smooth, sparsely haired . The scute l lardepre ssion w ith five stout keel s the central the larger . Metanotum with a kee l dow n the centre , clo sely reti cu lated , thereticulations shal l ow , irregular in shape, some hexagonal . Thecentre of p ropleura w i th some i rregu lar keels . The low er furrowon the mesonotum closely crenul ated the obl i que furrow belowthe tubercle s wide , deep , and w i th some stou t keel s . The upperpart of the metapleura i rregul arly, coarsely reticu lated below thefurrow strongly

,i rregularly punctured . L egs thickly cove red

with l ong pal e pubescence . Basal three segmen ts of abdomenstrongly closely striated the suturifo rmarticulation deep ,roundly

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

SPO L IA ZE Y L AN IC A .

obl ique , rounded . O cciput rounded , not transverse . Mesonotumand scutel lum shining i ts mi ddle lobe reaches to thebase of theapical third, i s then un ited to the apex by a stout keel , w ith‘ anarrow stri ated border on either side . Metanotum closely rugose .First abdominal segment short i ts base rather abruptly sl oped

,i ts

sides and apex margined . The segments are closely,finely puno

tured the area on the second segment large,becoming gradual ly

narrowed towards the apex ; the furrows striated, not unit ing atthe apex ; there are no lateral furrow s at the base . Su turiform

articulation striated there are no furrows on the other segments .There i s a d i stinc t curved furrow below the middle of thepropleura .

T r op orhogas , gen . nov .

Transverse median nervure rece ived near the base of the cel lu l e ,close to the transverse median ; recurrent nervure received nearthe apex of the ce llu l e second cubital ce l lul e twice longe r thanwide

,of equal width throughout anal nervure not interst i tial .

E ye s large, clear ly inci sed on the inner si de malar space smal l .Temples short

,obl i que . O cciput sharply margined

,transverse .

Palpi very long, sl ender, pi lose, 4 and 5-j ointed . Metanotumwi th two roundly diverging keel s on the base . A depression on thelower side of the mesopleura . Basal three segments of abdomenclosely longitudinally s tri ated the basal two wi th a kee l down thecentre su tur iform articulation crenulated there are c renulatedfurrows on the fourth, fifth , and sixth segments the base of thesesegments is d epressed , the apex of the segments being rai sed andc learly separated from the base of the fol lowing . Hypopygiumlarge,cultriform ; oviposi tor shortly projecting, the sheaths stou tantenna longer than the body, sl ender, pil o se, over 50- j ointed .

The abdomen i s fu l ly twice the length of the thorax the l egs l ongand sl ender the femora narrowed at the base . The first absci s saof the radius i s not half the l ength of the second the third i s thelongest and is curved upwards . The tarsi l onger than thetibia ; the metatarsus l onger than the two fol low i ng jo intsuni ted .

In D r. Ashmead’s system thi s genu s could only be confounded w i th B hagas that genus may be known from it by thetransverse median nervure being wide ly distant from thetransverse basal

,by the metanotum having a stout keel down the

centre,not two at the base , by the shorter abdomen , w ith the

segments not sharply separated ; the shorter and stouter l egswith the tarsi no t l onger than the tibia ; and the hypopygiumis not large and cu l triform .

P H YT O PH A G O US AND PARAS IT IC H YM E NO PT E RA .

29 .— T r0p orhogas sp i lonotus, sp . nov .

Pal l id testaceous , the legs pale r in tint ; the oce l lar region .

marks,more or l ess distinct, on the mesonotum ,the metanotum to

the top o f the apical s lope,the base of the mesopleura and large

marks on the base of the abdominal segments,the penul timate

segment entirely,black . Wings clear hyal ine,the nervures pal l id

testaceous, the basal hal f of the stigma fuscous , 9 .

L ength 7to 8 mm .

Peradeniya .The amount of black on the thorax vari es ; the hind coxa and

trochanters may be marked with black . The entire body and legsthickly covered with white pubescence . First and second abdominal segment s strongly and cl osely str iated throughout the thirdi s l ess strongly and cl o se ly str iated , the stria becoming fainte rtow ards the apex . The pleu ra may be largely marked with blackthe mesopleural furrow i s striated . Parapsidal furrows wide anddeep the apex of the middle lobe of the mesonotum is dep ressedand w i th a distinct furrow in the centre . S cutel lar depressionlarge

,deep a stout keel in the centre and a narrower obl ique one

on the sides . S cutel l um narrowed towards the apex. M etanotumfinely, irregular ly rugose the apex wi th some irregular keel s .

Zi a— T r op orhoga s a lbip es, sp . nov .

Rufo - testaceous, the oral region , l ower outer orbi ts, and l egsw hite ; the four hind coxa brownish-red ; a broad band on thethickened apex of the hind femora (but not reachi ng to the apex)black ; scape of antenna rufous, the flagel lum yel lowi sh-white .Wings hyal ine, sl ightly suflused with fu scous ; the apex with afuscous narrow cloud round the edges the stigma testaceous, thenervures fuscou s , 6.

L ength 9 mm .

Kandy .

S ides of front s toutly , oblique ly str iated face i rregular lywr inkled . Propleura s toutly striated the mesop leura w rinkledand irregularly str iated c losely and strongly below ; the metapleura closely, fine ly , rugosely punctured . Proste rnumyel low i sh

,

depressed in the middle and wi th a longitudinal keel there,w hi ch

i s bordered by a row of fovea . Paraps idal fu rrows st riated the

apex of the middle lobe cl osely striated and reti culated . S cutel lumconvex, round ly nar row ed towards the apex, which i s roundeda keel runs from the sides of the apex to the wings ; the spaceinside this i s dep ressed and striated in the middle . Mediansegment closely rugosely punctured, the punctu res running intoreticulati ons . Back of abdomen closely rugosely str iated ; thefurrow s are more strongly and di stinctly stri ated .

94 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

31.— T rop orhoga s ma culz

’

penms , sp . nov.

P late A,fig. 5.

Testace ous,the part be tw een the ocel l i , the greater par t of the

mesopleura ,and the ap ical tw o segments of the abdomen blacki sh

the upper part of the thorax infuscated . Wings hyaline ; theapex smoky , before and behind from before the second transve rse cubital ne rvure

, the midd le from beyond i t ; there i s anar row cloud al ong the anal nervure

,w hich i s thick and black ,

the apex w hite and thinner, 9 .

L ength 12 mm .

Kandy,July and August .

Vertex at the sides of the ocel l i c losely , the front more stronglyobl iquely striated . Face thi ckly covered w i th long fuscous hai r .

Mesonotum with a few scattered punctures . shining, covered w i tha Short blackish pubescence . S cu te l lar d epression no t very deepthe central keel not very stout . Metanotum at the sides of thebase clo sely rugose

,the centre and the rest tothe middle of the

apical sl ope irregularly re ti cu lated . P ropleura wi th some stou tobl ique s tria : the mesopleura obscurely punctu red

,the cen tre

w i th an obl ique depres sion metapl eura cl osely rugosel ypunctured . Basal four segments of the abdomen closely l ongitud inally str iated ; the fifth c losely and strongly

,the others

sparsely punctured .

32 .— T f

rop o rh0ga s tr i color , sp nov .

Plate A,fig. 8 .

Antenna black . Head rufo-tes taceous , the vertex behind andthe occipu t black the o ral region

,mandibles

,and palpi pale

yel low . Thorax black , the mesonotum,Scute l l um

,and upper part

of pleu ra rufo- testaceous . The first abdominal segment,the base

and the sides,more broadly, especial ly behind , o f the second , the

S i des of the thi rd and fourth,the fifth

,except for a l ine on the

sides at the apex,and the apical

,en tire ly yel low

,thi s being al so

the case w i th the ventral surface . Fou r front l egs w hiti sh y el l owthe midd le tarsi infuscated the h ind l egs bl ack . Wings hyal ine ;the s tigma and nervures black , 9 .

L ength 7to 8 mm .

Kandy, June .Face close ly punctured

,the middl e at th e s ides of the rai sed

part stri ated . The vertex at the side s of the lower ocel lustransverse ly

,the fron t more coarse ly

,obl iquely striated . M esono

tum and scutel l um smooth,neither punctured nor stri ated . The

basal k eel s on the metanotum are stout and have tw o transverseones betw een them the part on ei ther si de

,almo st smooth

,on the

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

96 S PO L IA ZE Y L AN IC A .

S cute l lar depressi on wide , roundly curved , deep , Obscurc lv

s triated . Metanotum cl osely rugose , the basal keels indi stinct , thesides w i th some obl ique stria . Pro - and mesopl eura for the greaterpart cl ose ly reticu lated ; the metapleura finely rugose . The firstand second abdominal segmen ts are c lo se ly striated , th e th irdobscu rely so

,the other segmen ts smooth the sutur iform articu

l ation i ndistinct,only indi cated through the apex of the second

being rai sed . The first absci ssa of the radius i s hal f the l ength ofthe second ; the second cubital cel lu l e is half the l ength of thethird .

35.- T 7*0p orhoga s tr ima cu la ta , sp . nov .

Rufo -testaceous , the pl eura paler, more ye l l owish in colour,the ocel lar region and three large marks on the mesonotum bl ackwings hyaline

,highly iridescent, the nervures and stigma black

the costa, base and apex of stigma, and the transverse basalnervure testaceous , 9 .

L ength 8 mm .

Kandy, Ju ly .

Smooth , shin ing , impunctate . S cutel lar depre ssion large,

shal low,d ivided by a keel . S cu te l l um smooth , rufou s at the

apex . Post-scutellumrounded , conspi cuou s , smoo th , dark rufous .Metanotum weakly punctured , a keel dow n i ts centre , the keelindi stinct at the base . The basal four segments of abdomen cl oselypunctured ; the fif th indistinctly so the re i s no keel on the basalsegments .

A NEW G E NUS O F C RY P T INZE FRO M C E YL O N .

B a thycr isis , gen . nov .

Abdominal petio le of equal w i d th throughout,the post-peti ole

not be ing dilated it i s l ong and sl ender . Medi an segment wi thtw o transverse keel s its spiracl es about three times longer thanw ide . Transverse median nervure in hind wings broken below the

middle . Di sco - cubital nervure broken by a stump of a nervure .

Areol et of almo st equal w idth throughout . Apex of clypeusdepressed , broad ly rounded , above cl early separated from the face ,w hich is di lated in the centre above , there be ing thus a depression between i ts apex and the clypeus . Flage l l um of antennadensely pi lose, the first j oi nt l onger than the second

.Front

deep ly excavated ; a stout keel above each antenna . E yes d i st inctly , roundly incised on the inner si de the malar Spacemoderate . Parapsidal furrows deep,wide, reaching to the midd le .There i s a wide ,deep,curved furrow on the base of the metanotumthere i s no area there . Thorax strongly rugosely punctured .

The abdomen i s more slender than usual .

PH YT O PH A G O US AND PARAS I'I‘IC H YM E NO PT E RA . 97

I only know the 6Of thi s genus . It comes near to O sp rg/nchoms , w hich may be known from i t by the ro str i form head , withlong malar space

,and by the d isco-cubital nervure not being

broken by a stump of a nervure . In T heE ntomologist, 1903, 182, Idescribed an O sp rynchotus p erona tus from Indi a . I w as not thenacquainted w ith the type Of O sp rynchotus from the C ape . Now

that I have seen i t, I find that my - Indian species i s a L innocems,

T asch .=03p rynchotus S chmied . non Spin . (E nt . Nachr . XVIL innocer a s may be known from the genu s here described by thetran sverse med ian nervure in hind wings be ing broken at

,not

be low,the middl e , by the more elongate clypeu s, not separated

from the face , l arge proj ecting labrum ,l onger

,more slender

,

mandibl es , of whi ch the upper tooth i s much the l onger . InB a thycr isis the mandibl es are short , thick , w i th two short stoutteeth of equal length . In Dr . Ashmead ’s tables

,Bu l l . U . S . Nat .

Mus . XXII I . , 40, O sp rynchotus i s placed in the d ivi sion with thetransverse median nervure in hind wings broken di stinctl y bel owthe middle, usual lyfa r below the midd le,” w hereas i t i s brokenshortly above the middle .

ISO— B a thycr is is s tr ia ticollis , sp . nov .

Black,the inner orbits, broadly below, narrowly above , a nar

row l ine in the centre of the outer, a mark, l onger than broad ,transverse at the apex and in te rrupted in the midd le above by afovea

,a mark in the centre of the clypeus

,mandibles

,except at

the apex,a smal l mark on e ither S ide of the pronotum

,a smal ler

one in front of the tegu la and tubercl es,l emon-yel l ow legs

, w i ththe greate r par t o f the femora

,the tibia and the tarsi

,except at

the ap ex,rufo-testaceous ; the coxa and femora marked below

w i th ye l l ow . Wings hyal ine, the nervures and stigma black , 6.

L ength 9 mm .

Trincomal ee , C ol. Y erbury .

Head covered with long w hite hair . Face c losely punctured,

the clypeus smooth,the l ower part smooth and shin ing the part

immediately below the ocel l i strongly transversely str iated , andthe stria curved .

The vertex behind the oce l l i clo se ly punctured ; the occ ipu tmargined

,the temple s wide, obl iquely narrow ed . Pronotum

strongly i r regular ly striated . Mesonotum closely punctured ; inthe depressed centre the punctuat ion is cl oser and runs intoreti culati ons . The scutellum is l ess c losely punctured and moreShini ng than the meson o tum . Metanotum clo sely rugoselv

reticulated . Pl eura closely strongly punctured .

98 s PO L IA Z E YL AN IC A .

O N TH E PHYTOPHAGO US ANDPARAS IT I C HYMENUPTERA

COLLECTED BY M R . E . ERNEST GREEN I N CEYLO N .

S E C OND PAPE R .

By P . C A M E RO N .

TH E following species are described in this paper

IC H N E U M O NINZE .

M elanichneumon kandyensis , n . sp .

H oplismenus ceylonicus , n . sp .

H aliphera fulvipes , n . sp .

Aluina erythropus , n . g . et sp .

Deniya pleuralis , n . g . et sp .

T anyphat-nus multimaculatus , n . g . et

S tict ichneumon macaria , n . g . et sp .

CRY P’I‘

IN ZE .

B uodias rufipes , n . sp .

M elcha cinct ipes , n . sp .

M elcha annulipes , n . sp .

M elcha va ribaltea ta , n . sp .

Meleha reticulata , n . sp .

M elcha erythropus ,n . sp .

M elcha maculiceps , n . sp .

Friona rufipes , n . sp .

Friona bitubercula ta ,n . sp .

Fenenias erythropus , n . sp .

Skeat ia acutilinea ta , n . sp .

Skeatia cyclos ia , n . sp .

Skea t ia panthona , n . sp .

B athythrix rubriornatus ,n .

B a thy thrix s triatus ,n . sp .

C litiga excava ta ,n . g . et sp .

C litiga forticomis , n . sp .

E arrana lutea , n . g . et sp .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

100 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

lines ,narrowed in front , on the centre of the mesonotum ,

the apic alhalf of the s cu tellum , the mark dilated laterally at the base , pos t _scu tellum and the apices O fthe second to fifth abdominal segment snarrow ly ,

the penultima te more broadly , and the las t entirely ,yellowthe second segments broadly at the base rufous antenna w i th abroad white band in the middle legs red the four front coxa andtrochanters yellow the hind black red

,and yellow . Wings hyaline ,

slightly tinged w ith fulvous , the nervures and stigma black ,9 .

L ength 15— 16mm .

Kandy,July .

Head smoo th ,mandibles red

,black at apex . O n the cen tre and

on the sides of the clypeus is a reddish mark . P ro thorax and mesothorax closely punctured the scutellum smooth . Median segmentmore closely and s trongly punc tured ; the apical s lope thickly coveredw i th white hair ; the areola open at the base , tw ice longer thanbroad ; the inner s ide furrow ed ; i t is of equa l w idth throughou tand has the apex roundly curved inw ardly . D isco -cubital andrecurrent nervures broken by a s tump ofa nervu re . Apical half ofpos t -petio le s trongly punctured the gas trocoeli shallow ,

yellowi sh .

Agrees fairly well w ith M elanichneumon . Scutellum not quite flat,

depressed at base and apex round , longerthan the w id th at the base .

2 .

— H 0plismenus ceylonicus ,sp . nov .

Black ; the face , clypeus , the orbits all round ,mandibles

,palpi ,

a line on the prono tum , tubercles , tw o lines on the centre of themesonotum ,

the apical half Ofscu tellum , the base Of the mark transverse , apex o i pos t - scu tellum , and the apices of all the abdominalsegments

,pale yellow the apex of the firs t segment has the lin e

broader than i t is on the third and follow ing on the apex of thesecond the band is tw ice the width it is on the firs t and there is abroader band on its base . L egs red the four front coxa and trochanters yellow the hind coxa black , the apex red below ,

above theyare yellow . Wings hyaline , the s tigma and nervures black . Antennals cape and a broad band on the centre of the flagellum white theflagellum brownish beneath , especially on the basal half ,6L ength 14mm .

Kandy .

Face and clypeus thickly covered w i th short , white pubescenceand sparsely punctured ; labrum white , largely projecting . Pro

mesono tum and s cu tellum smooth , the lat ter obliquely s loped at thebase and apex . Propleurae andmesopleura smooth . Base Ofmetanotum and areo la smoo th , the res t s trongly punctured the pos terio rmedian area irregularly rugose the apical s lope and metapleura

PH YT O PH AG O US AND PARAS IT IC H YM E N O PT E RA . 101

thickly covered w i th white hair , the latter s trongly punctured .

Abdomen smooth,except the second segment

,which is w eakly

punctured gastrocoeli smooth,shallow .

This species agrees fairly well w ith H oplt’

smenus ,having the scu tel

7,

lumas in that genus bu t the areo la is not w ider than long as inthe diagnos is of Ashmead it is fully longer than w ide , O pen at thebase , and the pos terior median area pro jects roundly into i t . Thelateral teeth are small , bu t dis tin c t . The c lypeus is short , transverseat the apex the labrum pro jects .

3.— H a liphemfulvip cs ,

sp . nov .

Black ; the face , c lypeus , mandibles,palpi

,upper inner orbits

narrow ly ,the lower half of the ou ter broadly— more bro adly below

than above— a narrow line on the prono tum,tubercles

,a mark on

the tegula ,scu tellum , a line on the centre of the metanotum ,

rounded and narrowed at the top and bo t tom ,one - third of it in the

areo la , two - thirds on the posterio r medi an area , a broad lin e on thefirs t and a narrower lin e on the second abdominal segment , lemonyellow . L egs fulvous , the coxa black the fore trochantersyellow ,

the middle yellow,black behind

,the hinder entirely black .

Wings hyaline , highly iridescent , the nervures and stigma black .

An tenn al scape yellow , the flagellum fuscous beneath, 6.

L ength 12 mm .

Maskeliya , Augus t .

Face and clypeus dis tinct , bu t no t y ery closely punctured ,sparsely

coveredw i thwhi te pubescence front and vertexw rinkled irregularly .

Mesono tum closely , finely,bu t dis tinctly punctured ; the scu tel

lum wi th some scattered punctures . The basal three area of

metanotum finely , closely , irregu larly ,transversely s triated ; the

lateral almos t smooth at the base the pos terior medi an obscurelystriated at the base , the res t strongly transversely s triated thelateral area w ith some s tou t oblique irregular s tria . Propleura indist inctly ,

themesopleuraemore s trongly and closely and the metapleurastil l more closely and strongly punc tured ,

the latter two more or lessclosely s triated . Petiole smoo th the second and third segmentsclosely ,

bu t no t s trongly punctured ; the gastrocoeli longish , smooth ,

and shining ; the apical segments densely covered w ith short blackishpubescence the apical half of the las t yellow .

Alu ina,gen . nov .

Scu tellum rounded , not flat , i ts basal three -fourths stoutly keeled .

Areola longer than broad , w ider at the base than at the apex thekeels roundly curved , the apex slightly rounded inw ardly its

102 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

surface s toutly s triated . Abdominal petio le smoo th ,shining,

impunctate . O viposmor long , as long as the apical three segmentsuni ted . Base of flagellum s lender

,the jomts elonga te ; o c c ipu t

deeply ,w idely

,roundly incised

,s loping above obliquely from the

ocelli . Disco - cubital nervure angled in the middle , broken there bya stump of a nervure ; the tw o abscissa s traight

, oblique,no t

rounded .

The head is large the eyes large , projec ting,dis tinctly na rrowed

below ; the malar space moderate . Apex O f clypeus transverse ;labrum hidden . Scu tellum longer than broad , rounded a t the baseand apex . Face flat , only s lightly dilated in the middle

,no t

separa ted from the clypeus . Abdomen w ith the second and thirdsegments punctured longer than the head and thorax united

,its

apex acutely po in ted .

Allied ,in some respec ts , to C illimus and E xephancs . I t has the

long,pro jecting ovipos i to r of the latter , but no t its filiform antenn a

but E xcphancs has not the scutellum s tou tly keeled C tlltmus has

the oviposi tor short,has the face tumid ,

no t narrowed behind theeyes ; the clyp eus is armed at the apex w i th a small too th and thescu tellum short .

4.

—Aluina crythropus , sp . nov .

Pla te A , fig. 11.

B lack the face , clypeus , the orbits all round , the ou ter bro adlybelow

,a line on the raised centre of the pronotum ,

scutellar keels,

the s ides of the scu tellum narrow ly , the apex more broadly,pos t

s cutellum ,the apex of the petio lar area , a broad line on the s ides of

the apical s lope ofmetano tum,a triangular spot behind the spiracles

the lower edge of the propleura , tubercles , a large mark ,narrow ed in

the middle on the lower part O f the mesopleura ,a large O blique

mark on the centre of metapleura , the base of the firs t abdominalsegment , two spots on its apex , the apex of the second broadly

, tw o

broad lines ofalmost equal w idth on the third , tw o shorter,smaller

ones,obliquely narrowed on the inner side , the greater part of the

s ixth and the whole of the apical tw o, pale yellow . Antenna black ,

the under s ide ofthe scape and a bro ad band on the flagellum white .

L egs red,the four front coxa and trochanters yellow . Wings hyaline ,

the stigma and nervures black ,the cos ta at the base of the s tigma

fuscous,9 .

L ength 11— 12 mm .

Pundalu - oya .

Head smoo th and shining ,the face and centre of clypeus sparsely

weakly punctured the front in the cen tre s lightly raised , almos tkeeled . Mesonotum closely punctured ,

the furrows dis tinct on the

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

104 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

from sho rtly abo ve the middle,meso s ternum ,

tubercles,the apices

O fall the abdominal segmen ts —t lie line on the fourth interruptedpale yellow . L egs pale fulvous ,

the anterio r largely tingedw i th yellow ,

the apex Of the hind femo ra , base ofhind tibiae , their apex broadlyand the tarsi , black . Wings hyaline

,the s tigma and nervures

black ,9 .

L ength 10mm .

Peradeniya .

Scape below and a broad ring on the flagellum white . Headsmooth and shining

,the face and c lypeus sparsely punctured

and haired . Thorax smoo th and shining,excep t the metapleura

and the spiracular area which are closely s trongly reticulated ,

punctured the areola w ith a stou t keel in the centre of the apicaltwo - thirds the metapleura thickly covered w ith white pubescence .

Post -petiole and the second to fourth abdominal segments closelypunctured .

T anypha tnus ,gen . nov .

6. Areola open behind , more than tw ice longer than w ide, separ

ated from the lateral area , the apex almost transverse,the top ofthe

posterior median area being bluntly rounded . Apex ofmetanotum w i th a gradually rounded s lope . Scu tellum not flat

,roundly

depressed at the base and apex . Pos t - petio le in the centre finely,

closely , longi tudinally striated ; gastrocoeli deep ; there are no thyridia . There are eight abdominal segments ; cerci long , s tout ;the genit al armature much larger than usual ; the ventral fo ldextends to the apex of the fourth segment . Areo let 5- angled ; thedisco - cubital nervure almos t broken by a stump ofa nervure . Apexofclypeus transverse , not separated from the face labrum largelyproj ecting . U pper too th of mandibles much longer than low er ,projecting tw ice the length of the lat ter beyond it ; it is sharplypo inted . Spiracles abou t four times longer than w ide .

The temples are moderately bro ad ,rounded malar space short

the an tenna are no t much longer than the abdomen,serrate .

Abdominal petio le s lender,longish ,

the pos t -petio le no t clearlyseparated . L egs moderately s tout . Abdomen s lender

,more than

tw ice the length of the head and thorax un i ted ; the s ides of thesegments spo tted w i th yellow the las t segments no t spo tted .

This genus ,or sub-

genus , has the s triated pos t -petiole ofIohnenmon sensu s ir . C omparing it w i th I . luctatorius , the type given forIchncumon s . aha , its areola is longer , narrower , andno t ofequal w idthi t being w ider at the base and narrowed roundly in the middle ;the metano tum has a mo re gradually rounded s lope ; the firs tsegment ofthe abdomen is more s lender , especia lly at the apex ; the

PH YT O PH AG O US AND PARAS IT IC H YM E N O PT E RA . 105

scutellum is much more dis tinctly raised— more co nvex ,and clearly

longer than w ide ; the temples are shorter and not s o obliquelynarrowed ,

the malar space smaller,the eyes being longer , and the

upper too th of the mandibles is longer and more sharply poin ted .

6.

— T anypka tnus multimacula tus , sp . nov .

Black,the face , clypeus , mandi bles ,

palpi,the inner orbits , the

ou ter , narrow ly above , bro adly below ,the upper and low er edge of

prothorax ,pros ternum , the s ides ofs cu tel lum

,narrow ly at the base ,

more broadly tow ards the apex ,scutel lum , a broad band of equal

w idth on the base of metanotum , extending from the base to thepos terior medi an area the apical s lope , excep t the l atter area ,

theyellow extending on to the pleura , a mark behind the spiracles ,

thelower third of the mesopleura , the apex of the firs t abdominal segment and broad marks , closely continuous ,

on the apices ofthe o thersegments

,yellow . Four front legs rufo -yellow , t heir coxa and tro

chanters yellow ; the hind legs rufous , the coxa black ,broadly yellow

at the base above , the base of the tibia broadly yellow . Wingshyalin e

,the stigma and nervures black , 6.

L ength 13mm .

Pundalu - oya .

Face and clypeus punctured , but no t s trongly or c losely . Frontw ith some minute punctures . Mesonotum sparsely , irregularlypunctured . Base and areo la of metano tum smooth the res tclosely and strongly puncture d , thickly covered w i th long fuscoushair . Pleura closely and s trongly punctured, the meta irregularlys triated . Basal segment w ith the pos t - petiole closely finely s triatedin the middle the second to fo urth more strongly on the basalhalf .The gastrocoeli are large , deep ,

smooth . Transverse mediannervure inters titial . The areola is not separated behind

, wherethere is no oblique depress ion ; i t is clearly separated from thelateral area ,

is slightly narrow ed in the middle , more than tw icelonger than w ide , and transverse at the apex the apex of the segment has a gradually rounded s lope ,without teeth . The ventral fo ldis on segments two to four .

S tictichneumon , gen . nov .

C lypeus separated from the face by a deep, wide furrow which

uni tes w ith the lateral fovea its apex not quite transverse . Are

o la horseshoe - shaped , longer than w ide , clearly separated behind ;the petiolar area confluent w ith lateral . Scutellum roundly convexroundly sloped at the base and apex its basa l half keeled . Petiole

106 S PO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

s trongly ,c losely punctured ,

as are also the follow ing three segments ;gas trocoeli deep ,

w idely separated . Areolet 5- angled ; transversemedian nervure intersti tial dis co - cubital nervure slightly broken .

There is a dis tinct malar space . The upper teeth of the mandible isdis tinctly longer than the low er . Antennae sho rter than the body .

Temples obliquely ,roundly narrow ed . Pos t -petio le not clearly

separated ,becoming gradually w ider tow ards the apex i t is

s trongly punc tured . There is a dis tinc t depress ion at the base ofthe metanotum . L egs short and s tou t .The bodv is black ,

spo t ted w i th yellow it is more c losely ands trongly punctured than usual . Temples obliquely narrow ed .

This genus should be readily known by the roundly convex scu tellum

,keeled to the middle , and by the clypeus being separated

from the face by a deep transverse furrow . The middle area of thepetiole is raised ,

separated from the sides . The apex ofthe c lypeusis no t quite transverse the middle being s lightly dilated

7.

—S t7§ctichncumon macar ia ,sp . nov .

Black,the face

,except for a large mark on it s lower half

,its s ides

produced above , the sides of c lypeus , inner eye orbits , low er twothirds of outer , base of mandibles , palpi , a line round the base ofthepro thorax ,

one on the prono tum , tegula , tw o lines on themesonotum

,scutellar keels ,

two small spo ts on the base of s cutellum,a

line on its apex , po s t - scutellum , tw o oblique spots on the apicals lope ofmetano tum, tubercles , a mark on the lower part of themesopleurae,

contrac ted in the middle , the ap ic al part sho rter andmore ova l than the basal , which is narrow ed at the apex ,

an irregularspo t on the apex of the meta pleura , transverse marks on the sidesof the basal four abdominal segmen ts ,

the centre of the penultimateand the who le of the last , yellow . L egs black

,the four front coxae

and trochanters yellow their femo ra and tibia obscure tes taceousin front . Wings c lear hy aline , the s tigma and nervures black ,6.

L ength 10mm .

Maskeliya,July .

Bred from pupa ofM acam'

a,sp .

C RY PT IN a .

8 — B uodias rufipcs , sp . no v .

Pla te A . fig. 13

Bla ck . the legs red a bro ad band on the antenna ,the upper eye

inner orbits, ,

an interrupted line on the base ofthe pronotum, scu tellar keels

,s cu tellum,

me tano tal spines and the apices of the basal

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

108 sr oma z avL AN tcA .

broadly and the apical four segments entirely , yellow the petiolerufous

. L egs rufous , the four front coxae and trochanters whitethe hind tibia fuscous ,

w ith a broad ring near the base , the hindtars i , except the apical joint , white . Wings hyaline , the stigmafuscous , the nervures darker , 9 .

L ength 6—7mm . terebra 2 mm .

Peradeniya , September .Antenna broadly ringed w i th white ; the scape and base of flagellum rufo - testaceous . The part below the ocell i closely , irregularly ,

longitudinally s triated,keeled in the middle the depressed fron t

w i th two s tou t smoo th keels . Face finely , irregularly rugose .

M esonotum finely,closely ,

rugosely punctured . Scu tellum smoo th .

B ase ofmetano tum irregularly rugose ; the apex dis tinctly transversely s triated ,

the s triae clearly separated . The centre ofp ropleuraes toutly s triated

,the mesopleura c lo sely , irregularly , obliquely

s triated and aciculated the metapleura closely ,s trongly ,

obliquelys triated . The second and third segments of the abdomen closely

,

uniformly punc tured .

11.

— M elcha variba ltea ta sp . nov .

Black,the median segment

,apex ofmesopleura below

,and petiole

rufous face,clyp eus , mandibles , palpi , lower third ofouter orbits .

base of propleurae, pronotum , mesos ternum , tegula ,tubercles

,the

usual plate under the hind wings ,the apices of the five abdominal

segments and marks in the centre of the apical two ,yellow

, the

yellow on the abdominal segments backed w ith tes taceous behind .

Four front legs pale fulvous ,the coxae and trochanters white the

hind coxa fulvous , their trochanters black femora rufous,tibia and

tarsi fus cous ,the tibia broadly rufous at the base . Wings hyaline

,

the apex slightly smoky , the s tigma fuscous , the nervures darker , 6.

L ength 5mm.

Kandy,July .

H ead smooth and shining . Thorax smooth,except the apical

s lope and s ides ofmetano tum behind the keel,which are irregularly

rugose . Middle lobe ofmesono tum depressed in the centre,and

having a dis tinct fovea , longer than w ide the apex at the end ofthe

parap sidal furrow s w ith a row of foveae . The petiole is black a t

the apex,the centre yellow ish

, a s compa red w i th the s ides .

l 2 .~ —M clclm, reticulum

,sp . nov .

Black , the face , clypeus , mandibles , palpi , the lower fourth oftheo ute r o rbits , ulalar space , the inner o rbits to near the antenna .

a bro ad line o n the apical two - thirds of the prono tum , tegula .

PH YT O PH AG O U S AND PARAS IT IC H YM E NO PT E RA . 109

tubercles , antennal keels ,scutellum

,the usual mark behind the

w ings , the apical s lope ofthe metano tum excep t for a black mark inthe centre , the apices ofthe basal four abdominal segments and the’

apical entirely , yellow . The four front legs yellow ,tinged w i th

fulvous , the hinder rufo - testaceous , the apex of the coxa ,trochanters .

apical half of tibia , and the tarsi blackish . U nder s ide of antennalscape tes taceous . Wings hyaline ,

—

the nervures and stigma black, 6.

L ength 7mm .

Ma tale , July .—Reared from P syche subtemlba ta .

Head shining , impunctate . Mesonotum minutely punc tured .

Paraps idal furrow s closely , transversely s triated the part wherethey end irregularly punctate— reticulated . The base ofmetano tumsmooth , the res t strongly , closely reticulated . Propleura and mesopleura smoo th the metapleura irregularly reticulated . Thesecond and third segments of the abdomen are c losely puncturedthe o thers smoo th

,densely pilose .

l3.

— M elcka erytiw'

opus ,sp . nov .

Pla te B , fig. 2 .

Black , the upper inner orbits broadly ,more bro adly below than

above,a line on the low er part of the inner

,the greater part of the

c lyp eus , labrum , mandibles except the teeth ,palpi

,a line on the

apical three-fourths of the pronotum,tegula ,

tubercles,scutellum

,a

large crescent - shaped mark behind the w ings , the apices ofthe basalthree abdominal segments and a narrow er line on the apex of thesixth

,yellow ish -white . L egs rufous

,the anterior coxa and trochan

ters white the greater part of the hind tars i blackish . Wings clearhyaline

,the nervures and s tigma black . Medi an segment , apex of

mesos ternum and base of metapleura , rufous , 9 .

L ength 7mm terebra 2 mm .

Peradeniya,Augus t .

The s ixth to twelfth joints of the antenna are ringed w i th whi teexcep t above . Face closely ,

irregularly , rugosely striated . C lypeusobscurely punctured . Front w i th a dis tinc t keel down the centre ,striated on either side , the s tria stronger and more irregular above .

Pronotum and mesono tum smooth and shining the propleura inthe middle stoutly striated the mesopleura except behind , closely ,

finely reticula ted . Metanotum behind the keel smooth and shiningthe rest c losely ,

rugosely reticulated . Metapleura closely , obliquelys triated ,

more strongly above than below the furrow . The secondand third s egments of the abdomen are finely , closely puncturedthe others smooth and shining . Tarsi closely spinose . Areole tsquare , the apical nervure faint . Base of mesos ternum yellow , the

110 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

rest bl ack the second transverse cubital nervure faint . The baseofthe firs t abdomina l segmen t is rufous .

A specimen from Kandy is 12 mm . long,has a s tripe on the s ides

of the fourth abdominal segment , and the penul tima te is entirelywhi te .

l 4.—M clcka maculi ceps ,

sp . no v .

Black the upper inner o rbits ,a somewhat pyriform ma rk on the

centre ofthe face , the thickened end at the top and rounded , thec lypeus excep t on the s ides and apex ,

mandibles broadly at the base .

tegula ,tubercles

,scutellum

,the apical slope of the metano tum , the

top of the yellow part narrowed ,transverse above ,

.

w ith the sidess lightly oblique , and the apices of the abdominal segments , yellow .

L egs rufous , the fore coxa and trochanters yellow ,the apical jo int

of the tarsi black . Wings hyaline , the nervures and stigma black ,9 .

L ength 8 mm . terebra 2 mm.

Peradeniya , O c tober . Bred from co coons of C lwysomelid beetlefeeding on orchid .

The s ixth to tenth j oints of antenna white below . Face closelyand distinctly punctured . The upper part ofthe front closely

,longi

tudinally . irregularly striated— reticulated .

i

M esono tum minutely .

closely punc tured the apex of the middle lobe c losely,s trongly .

longi tudinally striated , the s triated part bro ad and transverse a t

the apex separated from the scu tellar depression by a smoothraised part . The scutellar depression is deep and bears s tou t keels .

Base of metano tum irregularly,closely

,rugosely punc tured ; the

area with a stout irregular keel in the centre the res t is c loselyreticulated . Pleura closely punctured ,

the propleura on the lowerhalf stoutly striated the sternum bordering the furrow is on thebasal half , c losely , finely

,transversely s triated . S ides of pos t

petiole clo sely,longitudinally s triated .

l5.-Fm

’

ona rufipes ,sp . nov .

Pla te B ,fig 1.

Black , the face , except for a triangular large black mark in thecentre , c lypeus , except for a black line , dilated in the middle , at theapex , labrum , base of mandi bles , palpi , the upper o rbits to the endof the top , the lo wer half of the outer more broadly , malar space , aline on the prono tum , tegula ,

scutellum,a reversed T - shaped line

on the apical , s triated part of the metano tum ,the cross pieces being

on the apical s lope , a semi -circularmark on the lower , apical part ofthe mesopleura , a smaller mark ,

longish,rounded above

,transverse

below , under and in fron t of it a large mark,rounded in front .

gradua lly w idened towa rds the outer side behind the wings , an

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

17— Fenenia3 erythropus , sp . nov .

Pla te A . fig 14

Black , very shining , the centre ofthe face and c lypeus ,the lat ter

more w idely than the former the inner orbits narrow ly from nearthe bottom and round the top , the lower two - thirds of the outer ,base of mandibles and palpi , a narrow line on the apical half of theprono tum , the base below , a transverse small mark on the apex of

the middlelobeof the mesonotum,scutellar keels

,apex of scutellum ,

the mark longer than broad a line on the centre ofthe apical s lopeof the metanotum , followed downw ards , on either side , by a s imilarline ofthe same length and united to a mark on the middle

,which is

longer than broad and of equal w idth tubercles . a pyrifo rm markon the low er part of the mesopleura near the base

,a smaller , some

what s imilar mark on the low er s ide at the apex,a s tripe along the

low er s ide of the furrow ,the usual mark under the hind w ings , an

oblique mark near the apex of the metapleura and narrow lines on

the apices of the abdominal segments (the apical interrupted) , paleyellow . L egs red ; the anterior at the base and the hind tars i yellowish . Wings hyaline , the nervures and s tigma black ,

9 .

L ength 8 mm . ; terebra 4mm .

Peradeniya , September .

Face and upper part of clypeus distinctly punctured,the former

more closely and rugosely above . Vertex punctured in the centrethe front clearly separated from it and w ith a steep slope . M esono

tum distinctly ,but

'

not very closely or coarsely,punctured ; the

furrow s deep ,wider and stria ted tow ards the apex they do not

extendnear to the scutellum ,which is finely

,very sparsely punctured

its lateral slope is s toutly,obliquely s triated at the base , the res t

W i th some elongated punctures . Base of metano tum w ith a smoo th ,

deep ,oblique depress ion . in the middle is an ind i s tinct U -shaped

keel ; the centre is irregul arly reticulated ; the sides much morefinely and regularly reticul ated . The apical slope is depres sed inthe centre and closely , transversely ,

irregularly s tria ted— reticulated ;

there is no transverse basal keel ; the apical is not very distinctlydefined

,espec ially in the centre the teeth are broad and blunt .

Propleura s trongly s triated except for a punctured space above andthe base below

,which is smooth . Mesopleura closely punctured .

co arsely ,irregularly

,longitud inally s triated at the base above , irregu

larly ,closely reticulated in the middle ; the apex w ith a large smooth

and shining space . Firs t abdominal segment smoo th ,shining, the

apex w i th some minute scattered punctures ; the second segmentc losely and dis tinctly punctured ,

except at the apex the basal halfofthe third is more closely and finely punctured .

PH YT O PH AG O US AND PARAS IT IC H YM E N O PT E RA . H 3

T he areolet is minute,closed at the apex the transverse median

nervure is received behind the transverse basal the transversemedian nervure in hind w ings broken below the middle . Antennalong , ringed with white , slender . Metapleura] keel reaching close tothe hind coxa . Temples very short

,obliquely narrowed . Head no t

much wider than the thorax . The basal transverse keel on the metano tum is only indicated in the middle .

This species may be separated from the type of the genus thusMetano tal teeth s tout metano tum w ith three yellow marks in atriangle ; the mark on the mesono tum ova l

,longer than

broad ,hind t arsi fus cous , a lboma cula tus ,

C am.

M etano tal teeth small ; metano tum w ith the upp er part of theap ical s10pe margined w ith yellow the mark on the meso

no tum t ransverse, small ,broader than long, erythrop us , C am.

In a lbomaculatus the clyp eus is more convex and not so { ransverseat the apex . InFenenias the front is more deeply and w idely depressed

,the depress ion reaching closer to the ocelli , than in S keetia .

18 .

— S kea tia acutilinea ta ,sp . nov .

Pla te A , fig. 12 .

Black,face

,clyp eus , base of mandibles , palpi , the inner eye orbits

to the end of their top,the outer from near the top

,the yellow line

becoming gradually wider , malar space , the base of the pro thoraxnarrow ly ,

the middle of prono tum broadly , tegula , a mark ,longer

than broad and of equa l w idth in the centre of the mesonotum .

scutellar keels,scutellum , a triangular mark— the narrow end

above— its base shorter than the sides and laterally united by ashort line to a large mark on the sides of the apical slope

,enclos ing

the spines and going on to the pleura , the apices of all the abdom inalsegments

,tubercles

,a large oblique mark on the centre ofthe meso

pleura,roundly contracted above and below and narrowed at the

apex,mesos ternum ,

and a mark on the metapleura below the keel,

w idest and oblique at the apex , yellow . Antenna broadly ringedw ith white in the middle . L egs rufous , the coxa and trochantersyellow

,the hind coxa bro adly black at the apex above , this part

jo ined to the base on the lower s ide by a broad curved line the apexofthe hind femora narrow ly , the base of the tibia s till more narrowly

,

their apex more bro adly and the apical jo ints of their tarsi , blackthe hind tibia are infuscated . Wings hyaline , the nervures ands tigma black areo let minute , longer than w ide , 9 .

L ength 12 mm terebra 3—4mm .

Kandy ,July .

Front irregularly rugosely punctured except below the ocelli : thecentre keeled . Face dis tinc tly , bu t no t very closely

,punctured ;

the clypeus more sparsely punctured above , smoo th below . Thorax

II4 S PO IJ A ZE YLAN IC A

c losely and strongly punc tured the metapleura more strongly thanthe rest

,the metanotum closely reticulated , mos t strongly and more

irregularly on the apex . The firs t abdominal segments sparsely,the

o thers closely and uniformly punctured .

Characteristic of this species is the acu tely narrowed top of the markon the metanotum ; in the other species it is rounded .

19 .

— S kca tia cyclosia ,sp . nov .

Black,the face

,clypeus

,mandibles at ba se

,palpi

,the upper eye

orbits to the end of the top ,the ou ter from shortly above the middle ,

malar space , a broad line on the pronotum ,a line on the low er edge

of the propleura ,a small mark

,longer than broad ,

transverse at thebase

,rounded at the apex on the centre of the mesono tum

,scutellar

keels,scu tellum

,the s ides of the metano tum at the apex broadly ,

united above by a rounded line , which ha s the rounded top bro aderthan the s ides ; tubercles , a large ma rk on the mesopleura

,sha rp lv

contracted in the middle , the basal portion being the larger,

mesos ternum and a large mark in the centre of the metapleura,and

the apices of the abdomina l segments , yellow . L egs fulvous ; thecoxa and trochanters yellow ; the base and a mark on the outer s ideof the hind coxa ,

under s ide of trochanters, apex of"hind femo ra .

the base of their tibia more narrow ly and their apex more broadly .

black the hind tars i white . Antenna bro adly ringed w ith white .

Wings clear hya line , the s tigma and nervures black, 9 .

L ength 12 mm . terebra 2—3mm .

Kandy . Bred from cocoon ofC yclo sia, panthona ,a z yga nid mo th .

Front w ith a distinct keel the part next to the keel finely rugose ,outside obscurely s triated . Face and top of clypeus punctured .

s trongly ,but not c losely . Mesono tum c losely

,finely

,rugosely

punc tured . Scu tellum smo o th ; a small triangular black mark a t.

the base . Metano tum c losely , rugosely reticulated the basal areasmoo th ,

w ider than long . Propleura s tou tly s triated, obliquely

above ,below more s t rongly longi tudinally ; themesopleura andmeta

pleura c lo sely punc tured . Base and cent re of firs t abdominalsegment acicula ted , the s ides of pos t -petio le closely punc tured and

s triated the o ther segments closely punctured .

The M alay S . varipes c losely resembles this species . They ma ybe sepa ra ted a s fo llow s

T he metano ta l a rea sma ll, grea tly narrow ed a t the ap ex , the to poft he yellow line no t dila ted , the large line on mes opleur ano t con tra cted in the middle , a t apex united t o the yellowo n the meso s ternum, va r ip es , C am.

T he metano ta l area large ,no t grea tly na rrow ed a t apex , the to p

o fyellow line gr ea tly d ila ted t he large line on mesopleur acontra cted in the middle

,no t united t o the yellow on t he

s te rnum, cyclo s i a a.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

116 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

Post -petiole smoo th,shining , impuncta te, the mark on the centre

ofthemetano tum longer than broad tw o w idely separa tedmarks on themesop leura , p anthonae.

2 l .

—B a thythrix rubrioma tus,sp . nov .

Pla te B ,fig. 4.

Black , the upper part of the propleura and mesopleura ,the meso

no tum , and the scutellum dark red the lower part of the propleurayellow ish ; the apex of the firs t abdominal segment at the s ides broadlytes taceous the apex of the third and fourth yellow

,the latter only

narrowly . Four fron t legs dark fuscous , the hinder blackish ,the

coxa behind ,trochanters , and the base of tibia white . Wings

hyaline,a bro ad cloud , rounded and narrowed in fron t behind the

transverse median and the transverse basal , and a much broader oneextending from near the base of the stigma to the end of the radialcellule

,the centre ofthe apex of the w ings , being hyaline the apex

of the hind wings smoky . An tenna fuscous , darker at the apex , 9 .

L ength 6mm . ; terebra 1mm .

Peradeniya , April .In Ashmead ’s tables this species w ould run into the genus B a thy

thrix,bu t not having a specimen of that genus for comparison I can

not say if it be really iden tical w i th it or not . In my species theparapsidal furrows are deep , striated , and broadly rounded behind ,

not reaching to the scu tellar depression . The areolar is 6- angled ,

narrowed behind and much longer than w ide ; there is a dis tinctpetio lar area ; the base of the segment is deeply depressed . Thehead (including the clypeus) and thorax are thickly covered w i thwhite long pubescence . Mesono tum aciculated . Scu tellum laterallykeeled to near the middle . Median segment closely

,finely punctured .

Petiole closely , dis tinctly , ongitudj na lly s triated ; the second andthird segments are closely punctured . Firs t joint of flagellum as

long as the second .

2 2 .

— B a thythrix stria tus ,sp . nov .

Pla te B , fig. 5.

Black,the antennal scape , the base of prothorax ,

tegu la ,tubercles

,

the base of the basal four segments of the abdomen bro adly and ofthe last narrow ly , yellow . L egs rufo - testaceous

,the apical four coxa

and trochanters and the base of the hind tibia yellow . Wingshyaline

,a black cloud behind the tran sverse median nervure and a

large one beginning at the base ofthe radial cellule , extending to nearits apex and more dilated on the ou ter side below than on the upper ;there is a fuscous cloud near the apex of the hind wings , 9 .

L ength 7mm. ; terebra 1mm.

Kandv.

PH YT O PH AG O US AND PARAS IT IC H YM E NO PT E RA .

Head closely rugose ; the vertex closely striated in the cen tre ,c losely covered w ith white pubescence ; the centre of the faceroundly tuberculate . Mesono tum very finely and closely transverselv s triated ; the furrows crenulated . Metanotum closely rugoselyreticulated , the basal central area is w ide at the base

,becomes

gradually narrow ed to the apex,where the keels almos t unite the

areola is open at the apex , being continuous with the pos teriormedian area the lateral basa l area are large and of equal w idth .

E xcept at the apex the basal three abdominal and the basal half ofthe fourth segments are closely , regularly , finely

,longitudinally

s triated .

This is a larger and s touter species than B . rubriorna tus theabdominal segments are closely longitudinally striated

,the metano

tum less regularly areolated , there being no regularly defined areo la ,and the face is more distinctly tuberculated in the centre .

C litiga , gen . nov .

<5 Antenna as long as the body,26- jo inted

,the first jo int

ofthe flagellum longer than the second . Parapsidal furrow s indicatedat base only . S cutellum laterally stoutly keeled to near the apex .

Median segment short,smooth , and shining , the apex w ith a straight ,

s teep s lope completely areolated,the areo la w ider than long ,

rounded behind , transverse at the apex there are five area on theapex spiracles small

,oval ; the s ides at the apex toothed . Meso

pleura largely , deeply excavated in the centre . Areolet 5-angled ,

the apical nervure faint,but dis tinct disco - cubital nervure rounded ,

no t angled or broken the transverse median nervure receivedbeyond the transverse basal ; transverse median nervure in hindw ings broken below the middle . First abdominal segment greatlydilated at the apex , the base s toutly ,

angularly projecting the baseof second segment depressed ,

the apex of the depression transverse ,clearly separated . L egs moderately s tou t . Face fiat , not separatedfrom the c lypeus ,which is transverse at the apex . Mandibles w itha long apical and a short sub-apical too th .

9 Antenna stout , dilated towards the apex , longer than the body ,the basal joints of flagellum elongated . The post -petiole is not somarkedly tuberculated on the s ides the apex of the abdomen isbluntly pointed the ovipositor proj ects and has stout sheaths .

The areola is not wider than long , as it is in the 6I have described ,it being nearly as long as wide the base of the second abdominalsegment is not tuberculate laterally , bu t it is depressed at the base ,as in the 6 T he abdomen is short , bluntly po inted at the apex .

118 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A.

T he difference between the H emitelmi and the Phygadcuonin iappears to be somewhat shadowy

,and prac tically consis ts in the

absence in the fo rmer of the second transverse cubital nervure andin it s presence in the la tter . I t is clear enough in the presentgenus , although bulla ted in the middle . InAshmead ’

s arrangementofthe P laygadeuonini i t w ould come in near c toderma s ,

having fivearea on the apex of the metanotum ,

but it has no keels on the firs tabdominal segment . The deeply excavated mesopleura is no teworthy . The pleural furrow is w ide , deep , curved .

23.

— C litiga excava te,sp . nov .

Pla te B , fig. 6.

Black , shining the face , except for a line in the centre above ,clypeus ,

and mandibles except at the apex,palpi

,the base of the

prothorax ,tegula

,tubercles

,the low er part of the mesopleura]

depression,the mark roundly narrow ed above and the apex of the

scutellum,pale yellow . Wings hyaline , the nervures and s tigma

black . Front legs fuscous— tes taceous the coxa and trochanterswhite the middle fuscous ,

the coxa at the apex and above whitethe hind legs w ith the coxa black . the res t fuscous ,

tinged withblack , <5.

L ength5mm .

Haputale,ex pupa of M ichra seus obla tar ius .

January .

Mesono tum clearly,but not closely punctured . The central

excavated part of the mesopleura is smoo th,its edges punctured

the lower part and the sternum rather s trongly punctured . T he

upper part of the metapleura s trongly,but not closely punctured

the lower part smooth and bounded by s tou t,curved keels . T he

pos terior median area ofthe metano tum is surrounded on the inners ide by a row of fovea the outer area is s tou tly closely s triated

,

the inner w ith two or three irregular keels , the central quite smooth ;the outer is whitish above and there is a white spo t on the apex ofthe

spiracula r .

" 4.—O lfitiga forticornis , sp . no v.

P la te B , fig. 7.

Black , the face , excep t fo r a black line broad and narrowed below ,

a line on the centre of the clypeus bro adly dilated at the apex ,the

orbits (broadly above) except on the centre ofthe malar space , basalhalf ofmandibles , palpi , a broad line on the apical half of the pronotum , the lower part of propleura , tegula , tubercles ,

scu tellums , thes ides of the median segment from shortly above the spines , about

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

I31) SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

the C ryp tina , and its minute areo let would place it in theM csosten ini

but i ts unifo rm rufo - tes taceous co lour is very d ifferent from anythingfound in that group . I t might in fact be readily mis taken for aPani scus or an O phionid . I t differs from the C ryptince in the spiracleson the firs t abdominal segment being placed quite close to,almos t atthe middle— further back than in O phion , bu t not so far back as inPaniscus . In the position in which the spiracles are placed it agreesw ith the Mal ay genus C a sula . From the resemblance of thespecies to Paniscus and O phion I have no doubt that observationw ill show that i t is

,l lke the genera mentioned

,nocturnal in habits .

The ocelli , too , are large as in these genera .

25.

—E armna lutea ,sp . nov

‘

.

P la te B ,fig. 3.

L uteous,smooth , and shining

,the face

,inner orbits to the ocell i

and mand ibles ,except at the apex

,lemon -yellow the four front

legs at the base yellow ish , the hind tibi a and tars i fuscous w ingsclear hyaline , the nervures black ; antenna longer than the body ,

black,the scape luteous ; it is short

,thick

,not much longer than

bro ad . Pleural sutures crenulated on the median segment ,between the hind coxa , are three s tou t transverse keels , borderedon the outer s ide by a keel which runs down to the base ofthe hindcoxa . Mesopleural furrow deep , obscurely crenulated , 9 .

L ength 10mm . ; terebra 2 mm .

Kandy, O ctober .

O PH IO NIDZE .

26.

—0pkion bicarina tus ,sp . nov .

Dark rufous , the eye orbits bro adly ,face

,scu tellum , and pleura

pallid yellow antenna pale rufous,w ings hyaline , the cos ta

and s tigma rufous ,the nervures darker ; the recurrent nervure

received twice the length of the transverse cubital nervure behindthe base of the apical abcissa of the radius the s tump ofa nervureas long as the transverse cubital . O n the apical slope of the metano tum ,

commencing at the transverse keel , are two s tou t longitudinalkeels the s ides of the apical s lope are bordered by a s tout , w avedkeel

, which extends to the base of the hind coxa . Face minutelypunctured ; clypeal fovea large , deep . Thorax impunctate , mesonotum covered w i th a fuscous pubescence the parapsidal furrow sdis tinct on basal half , 9 .

L ength 2 1mm .

M askeliya , No vember,

PH YT O PH A G O US AND PARAS IT IC H YM E NO PT E RA . 12 ]

The depression at the base of the metanotum is deep , roundlynarrow ed tow ards the apex its width at the base longer than thetotal length . This species is much larger than any ofthe recordedBritish Indian species . I t has keels on the metanotum as in 0. areo

la tus , C am. , but , apart from the smaller s ize ofthe latter (15areola tus has the basal depression on the metanotum semicircular

,

not dilated distinctly at the apex,as in the C eylonese species . 0.

fuscomacula tus , C am. , is also smaller and may readily be knownby the recurrent nervure being received oppos ite the end of thebasal abcissa of the radius . In one spec imen there are indicationsofthree fuscous llnes on the mesono tum .

27.

—P leur0ncurophion erythrocerus , sp . nov .

Head pale lemon -

yellow , the thorax pale testaceous , the mesonotum more rufous in tint ; the abdomen , except at the base , rufotes taceous , darker tow ards the apex legs testaceous

,the anterior

paler . Wings hyaline , the stigma testaceous , the nervures blackish ;the basal abcissa of the di sco- cubital nervure slightly roundly curveddownwards at the apex there is hardly an indication of a stumpof a nervure on the disco -cubital nervure ; its apical abcissa is

s lightly bu t dis tinctly longer than the basal abcissa of the cubitus,

which is slightly shorter than the recurrent nervure ; the discocubital is thickened in the middle , w ith a long bulla beyond . Pro

thorax and mesothorax closely punctured , the propleura obscurelystriated . Basal depress io

'

n of metano tum w i th two stout and someindistinct keels ; the base smooth ,

the rest w ith broadly rounded striaMetapleural keel broad , rounded a t base and apex

,the middle

slightly turned upw ards , 9 .

E xcep t that there can hardly be said to be a s tump of a nervureon the disco -cubital nervure this spec ies fits into PleuroneumphionI t has the thickened base of the radi us of that genus and of E niscosp ilus , bu t it w ants the horny points found always in the latter genus .

The transverse median nervure is placed behind the transversebasal ; the medi an nervure in hind wings i s broken far below themiddle . The ocelli are not in a black patch . The antenna aremuch more reddish in tint than the body .

L ength 14—15mm .

Peradeniya .

28 .

— E niscosp ilus sp ilonotus ,sp . nov .

Rufo- testaceous , the head , excep t the ocellar region which isblack

,yellow the mesonotum with three large black lines

,the fifth

and follow ing segments of the abdomen black . Antenna black,

fuscous towards the apex . Wings hyaline , the stigma and nervures

SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

black ; there is one dark horny point , broadly transverse below ,

roundly narrowed in front , the base rounded , the apex slightlyrounded inw ardly . Transverse cubital nervure two - thirds of thelength of the recurrent , which is more than tw ice its length from it .Scutellum yellow ,

its apical half irregularly s triated . Base of

metanotum smooth; the base ofthe apical part smooth , excep t for afew irregular s tria the centre w ith roundly curved irregular striathe apex smooth . Propleura almost smooth , the cen tre of themesopleura finely

,closely s triated except above ; metapleura below

the keel finely , irregularly striated ; the spiracular area coarsely ,

irregularly ,obliquely stria ted ,

much more strongly tow ards theapex than at the base . Metas ternal keel s tou t , curved at base andapex ,

the base dilated .

Brulle (Hymen . IV . , 145) describes an 0. plica tus from Javawhich has three black marks on the mesonotum bu t it is an O phion ,

not an E niscosp ilus ,i t having no horny points in the wings .

29 .

— E niscospfilus melanocarpus , sp . no v .

Rufous the fifth and follow ing segments of the abdomen blackthe antenna black , broadly rufous at the base w ings hyaline

, the

s tigma and nervures black ; the horny point triangular , the sidesrounded ,

large , and wi th a long curved tail there is a small poin tbeyond the middle of the la t ter , abou t tw ice longer than w ide ,

rounded behind ,transverse at the apex . Transverse cubital nervure

one - third ofthe length of the apical branch of the disco -cubital andabou t one-fourth shorter than the recurrent . Scu tellar keels stou terthan usual . Basal depression of metanotum stou tly closely s triated

,

more closely in the centre than on the sides the base smooth therest closely reticulated , less closely at the base , where there are someirregular longitudinal keels . Pleura closely , but not stronglypunctured the metapleura more s trongly than the rest thepropleura s triated closely in the cen tre .

L ength 12 mm .

Kandy,August .

30.

— E niscosp ilus xanthocep‘

halus , sp . nov .

Testaceous , the head and scu tellum pallid lemon -yellow ; theo cellar region and the ‘ fifth and follow ing abdominal segmentsblack ; the occiput and a line in the centre of the face rufous .

Antenna rufo - testaceous the basal two - thirds ofthe firs t abdominalsegment yellow . Wings clear hyaline

,the stigma clear testaceous ,

the cos ta and nervures black transverse cubital nervure straight .oblique , slightly more than one-half the length of the recurrent

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

124 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

s lightly roundly curved , as long as the recurrent nervure . Scutellum keeled laterally to the apex . Base of metanotum smooth thebasal depress ion with a stout central and two or three keels oneither s ide of i t ; the base , behind the keel , is irregularly striated ;the s tria in the centre longitudinal , the o thers irregularly transversely ,

the res t of the segment w i th close , rather s trong , regu larlyroundly curved stria Propleura closely ,

obliquely s triated . Mesopleura closely punctured . Metapleura closely , coarsely ,

obliquelys triated .

The disco -cubital nervure is roundly curved and thickened in thecentre and w ith a large bulla beyond the thickened part . L egsdensely pilose ; the pile on the femora longer , paler , softer , and

sparser than on the tibia or tarsi , 9 .

L ength 2 1mm .

Pundalu-oya, January .

Bred from Dasychim horsfieldi .

33.— E niscospilus horsfieldi , sp . nov .

L ength 18 mm . , 9 .

This species is very similar to the above described , but is smaller ,more slenderly bu il t , and paler in colour . The two may be separatedthus '

L ength 18 mm. ; transverse cubital nervure s tra ight , oblique ,

not dis tinctly rounded dis tinctly shorter than the recurrentnervure

,horsficldc

’

.

L ength 2 1 mm. ; transverse cubital nervur e w ith a d is tinc t,

rounded curve ,a s long a s the recurrent nervure , da sychirce.

Base of metanotum shagreened the base of the apical part hasone or two longitudinal keels the rest w ith irregular , curved keelspointing towards the apex the res t is closely covered w ith roundlycurved backw ards , stria ,

which , at the apex , extend on to thepleura . Propleura rather strongly obliquely s triated in the middle ;the mesopleura in the centre above broadly , and below entirelys triated ; the upper part of the metapleura coarsely , irregularlyreticulated the res t closely ,

somewhat s trongly ,obliquely s triated .

S tigma , cos ta , and basal abcissa of radius , rufo - tes taceous ; there isonly one small , somewhat pyriform horny po int . L egs denselypilose

.The middle lobe ofthe mesono tum is darker than the latter .

S p ilophion , gen . nov .

Transverse medi an nervure broken shortly,bu t dis tinctly

,below

the middle . Base of radius thickened . D isco -cubital nervureroundly , broadly curved , w i thou t a stump ; originating before the

PH YT O PH AG O US AND PARAS IT IC H YM E N O PT E RA . 125

discoidal nervure . Transverse median nervure inters titial . Ah

domen strongly compressed,more than tw ice as long as the head

and thorax united . Apex of clypeus transverse labrum projecting ,

roundly narrowed tow ards the apex ,more than half the length of

the clypeus .

This genus has the thickened base of radius of Pleuroneurophionand E nicosp ilus the former may be known from it by the notin terstitial transverse basal nervure and by the angled , almost brokendisco -cubital nervure ; the latter by the presence of blis ter spotsand by the transverse median nervure in hind w ings being brokenfar below the middle . Characteristic are the projecting labrum andthe spotted w ings .

34.

— S p il0phionmaculipennis ,sp . nov .

Pla te B , fig. 13.

Tes taceous ,largely marked wi th yellow three large marks ,

narrow ly separated ,on the mesonotum , apex of metano tum a large

mark,obliquely narrowed at the base , on the lower half of the

mesopleura ,a large ovoid mark on the metapleura ; the third

abdominal segment above and the greater part fifth and sixth blackwings hyaline , the base of radial cellule smoky the stigma and thenervures black the former pale at the base ; face , oral region , andorbits lemon-yellow; antenna rufo - testaceous , 9 .

L ength 15—17mm .

Peradeni ya , September .Basal abcissa of radius thickened at the base . Disco -cubital

nervure roundly curved downw ards , the apex broadly , roundlycurved upwards ; the cellule bare above , but w i thout horny poin ts .Head smooth and shining,

almost entirely yellow . Pro thorax and

mesothorax impunctate . Scutellum laterally keeled to near the apex .

Metano tum behind the keel smooth the base depressed , with twostou t keels in the middle down the centre of the smooth part is afine longitudinal keel . The basal part is smooth laterally ; thecentre w ith three or four irregular keels ; the central stoutly ir regularlyreticulated , its sides obliquely s toutly s triated , the stria clearlyseparated ; the apical s lope has some wi dely separated irregularlongitudinal stria . Pleura smooth and shining .

35.

—Paniscus intermedius , sp . nov .

Fu lvous , the thorax slightly tinged wi th yellow ,the face

,oral

region , and o rbits pale yellow ; antenna rufous , darker towards theapex , wings hyaline , the stigma fuscous , the nervu res blackish .

Scutellum stoutly keeled , the keels uniting at the apex in a sharply

126 SPO L IA ZE YLAN IC A .

pointed angle . Areo let oblique,almos t appendiculated above

the second nervure largely bullated ; the recurrent nervure aboveand shortly below the middle w idely bullated . D isco -cubitalnervure roundly ,

broadly curved,not broken by a s tump ofa nervure .

Transverse median nervure in hind w ings broken near the bottom ofthe upper fourth . Median segment smooth at the base , the res tclosely transversely striated

,the s tria running into reticulations at

the apex . Pronotum and mesonotum closely , minu tely puncturedparaps idal furrows distinctly defined ,

especially in the middle . L egscoloured like the body

,the anterior paler than the posterior tars al

joints spinose at the apex and more sparsely on the res t,9 and 6

L ength 10—11mm .

Maskeliya ; Pundalu -oya .

O w ing to their uniform colouration the species of Paniscus aredifficult to define . The present species appears to be sufficientlydis tinguished from the known O riental forms by (1) its smaller size; (2 )by the transverse median nervure in hind w ings being broken higherup , nearer the upper fourth than the upper third as wi th the o thers(3) by the keels on the scutellum uni ting in a sharp angle , while in theothers they do not uni te

,bu t are widely separated . As wi th the

other species the ocellar region is black . The apex of the clypeus ismore transverse

,less rounded than it is in the other species . The

second join t of the hind tars i is dis tinctly shorter than the third andfourth united . The temples are lit tle developed and obliquely ,

sharply , roundly narrowed .

36.

—Pcmiscus orientalis ,sp . nov

Rufous , the orbits narrow ly pale yellow st igma tes taceous , thenervures black . Scutellum more s trongly punctured than the mesonotum , whose furrows are dis tinc t on i ts basal two - thirds only ; thescu tellar keels are s tou t and do not unite at the apex . Metanotumsmooth at the base only

,the res t closely ,

s trongly , transverselys triated . Pleura closely

, dis tinctly punctured ; the lower part ofthe propleura and metapleura closely ,

distinctly ,obliquely s triated .

Transverse median nervure in hind w ings broken shortly above themiddle disco -cubital nervure not broken by a stump of a nervure .

O cellar region black . Face s trongly and closely ,the clypeus sparse

ly punctured , the apex of the lat ter bluntly rounded . Wings hya o

line , the s tigma testaceous , the nervures black . Tarsal spines long ,9 .

L ength 13mm .

The pleura are much more s trongly punctured than the mesonotum , which is almos t smoo th .

This is a larger species than intermedius , but s till smaller than theo ther Indian species from intermedius i t may be known by its

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

128 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

obscure tes taceous calcaria dark tes taceous . Wings hya line,the

nervures and s tigma black,9 .

L ength 10mm .

Hatton ; Pundalu- oya ,February .

Head and thorax thickly covered w i th silvery pubescence . Headclosely punc tured . Mandibles uniformly dark rufous including theteeth , their base thickly covered wi th white pubescence . Palpi darktes taceous . Thorax closely

,distinctly punctured

,the pleura less

closely than the mesonotum the middle and lower part of the propleura w ith curved

,oblique , clearly separated s tria the apical

central depression on the mesopleura closely ,regularly s triated .

O n the base of the metanotum are two roundly curved keels , formingtwo area ,

which are as long as w ide ; the centre is depressed andtransversely s triated closely above , mo re w idely and bro adly below .

Areo let small , oblique , shortly appendiculated .

39 .

— L imneriumtaprobanicum,sp . nov .

Black the mandibles and palpi pale testaceous the four fron tlegs dark rufous , the coxa black at the base , trochanters pale yellow ;the hinder darker red , their coxa and basal joint of trochanters , apexof tibia , and the

'

tars i black ; wings hyaline , the nervures fuscousblack the stigma paler below ,

9 .

L ength 6mm .

Maskeliya .

Head and thorax opaque , covered w ith white pubescence finelyclosely punctured . In the centre of the base ofthe metanotum is aclearly defined area abou t three times longer than w ide and of equalwidth throughou t from the apex of this two keels run they areat the base roundly curved outw ardly , then run obliquely to theou ter side of the apical s lope , uni ting with the pleural keel above themiddle of the coxa . Propleura closely , and rather strongly obliquely s triated . Areolet shortly appendi culated ,

4-angled,its w idth

at the angles as long as its length the recurrent nervure is receivedin the middle .

40.

— Nototmclzys reticulatus , sp . nov .

Black,the four anterior legs and the antenna l scape tes taceous

tinged w i th fus cous , w ings hyaline , the apex s lightly fuscous , thenervures and s tigma black

,9 .

L ength 7—9 mm .

Peradeniya , January .

An tenna 20- jo in ted , the last jo int as long as the precedingtwo united ,

densely covered w i th a microscop ic pile ; tes taceoustowards the apex ; the firs t jo int of flagellum dis tinc tly longer

PH YT O PH A G O US AND PARAS IT IC H YM E N O PT E RA . 129

than the second . Front and vertex shin ing , the former transverselyfinely striated , keeled down the middle . Face and clypeus closelypunctured . Mandibles rufous . Mesonotum closely

,irregularly reti

culated ,the sides closely s trongly punctured . Scu tellummore widely

and irregularly reticulated , its s ides stou tly keeled . Met anotumreticulated

,more w idely and dis tinctly on the basal than on the

apical slope the base bordered by a keel and w ith a small area ,

longer than broad and of equal width in the centre . Propleura

smooth,the apex with a s toutly striated border . Mesopleura fin ely

rugose and irregularly obliquely s triated . Metapleura rugo se andirregularly reticulated . Abdomen smoo th and shining ; the basaltwo segments as long as the head and thorax united ; the firstshorter than the second and dilated at the apex .

Transverse basal nervure in terstitial ; disco - cubital roundly curvedthird di scoidal cellule at base more than half the w idth at the apextransverse medi an nervure in hind wings unbroken . Hind tarsilonger than tibia ,

claw s minu te , the calcaria of moderate lengthtarsi minutely spinose , s lender . Antenna , slender , as longas the head

,thorax , and first segment of the abdomen . Scutellar

depression large , w ide , deep .

I have , unfortunately , not an example of Nototmchys for comparison ,

bu t the species I have described agrees fairly well wi th thedescriptions of that genus .

O la tha , gen . nov .

Hind w ings wi th only two cellules , a large anterior , reaching toshortly beyond the middle , and wi th the apex broadly rounded ,

anda pos terior , not reaching to the middle of the anterio r and with itsapex stra ight and slightly obli que . Disco - cubital nervure interstitial w i th the discoidal , rounded at the base , the third discoidal cellulenarrowed and pointed at the base second disco idal cellule one- thirdwider at apex than at base . Hind tibia as long as the trochantersand femora united ,

curved and narrow ed at the base ; the basaljoint of the trochanters about four times longer than the apical .Mandibular teeth large , unequal . Hind metatarsus as long as theo ther joints united .

The transverse median nervure interstitial . C laws small,simple ;

apex of clypeus rounded . E yes bare , converging below . O cciputtransverse , margined .

This genus comes close to Agrypon, Foer . as defined by Ashmead(Bu ll . U . S . Nat . M us , XXIII . , which apparently is identicalwith Atrometus , Schmied . (Zeits . fli rHymen . u . Dip t . 1902 , 361) non .

Ashm. The total absence of apical nervures in the hind wings should

130 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

readily separa te the present genus . In them the anterior nervurefo rms one piece , i t being in one continuous rounded curve ; thesecond nervure is j oined to it by . a transverse nervure . The hind legsare very long .

41.

— C la tha longipes , sp . nov .

Rufo - tes taceous , a line ofequal w idth , enclos ing the ocelli , acros sthe vertex , a line on the centre of the mesono tum extending from thebase to near the apex , a shorter , bro ader line on the s ides

,more

irregular in form , not commencing at the base , bu t reaching to theapex

,the scutellar depression , the base and apex of the scutellum ,

the base ofthe metano tum , a line down its centre and one of similarsiz e on the s ides , a band on the centre ofthe prop leura ,

a smaller oneon the mesopleura ,

and one on the base of the metapleura,black

.

Four front legs yellow ish tes taceous , the hinder black ,their coxa

tes taceous , wi th a black line on the ou ter side . An tenna filiform,

longer than the body , black , the base testaceous below . Wingshyaline , the nervures and s tigma black , <5(4)

L ength to apex of second abdominal segment 9 mm . (the other segments missing) .Kandy

,July .

Head smooth and shining ; the lower part of the face , clypeus ,mandibles

,the parts behind and before the ocelli

,yellow . Meso

notum and scutellum rugosely punctured ; the metanotum closelyreticulated . Pleura coarsely , rugosely reticulated , the centre of thepropleura and mesopleura s triated . L egs densely shortly pilosethe hind femora s treaked w i th tes taceous below . The basal twosegments of the abdomen are as long as the thorax ; are thin , ofequal length

,and the firs t is dilated at the apex .

42 .

—T rickomma nigricans , sp . nov .

Black face,clypeus

,mandibles , orbits all round , a broad band

narrowed at the base on the pronotum , tegula ,scutellum , four fron t

coxa and trochanters , the fore femora and the four front femoraand tibia anteriorly ,

the calcaria and the hind coxa broadly at thebase above , yellow . Wings hyaline , the nervures and s tigmablack , 9 .

L ength 16mm .

Kandy,Augus t .

Head covered w ith white pubescence , smooth the front w i th astriated band which gets narrower below . Mesonotum opaque ,the furrows and the part at their apex irregularly reticulated ;the apex in the middle finely , closely , transversely striated . Scu tellum smooth . Metanotum coarsely reticulated , as are also the pleura .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

132 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

part is bounded by a rounded keel and is closely dis tinctly reticu l ated .

The basal three segments of the abdomen are closely , distinctly ,rugosely punctured , as is also the basal half of the fourth and lesss trongly the basal third of the fifth the apical half of the fourth issparsely punctured ; in both segments the punctured basal part isbounded by a transverse furrow

,there being also a similar furrow on

the third and a less distinct one on the second . The raised centralpart of the first segment ofthe abdomen is depressed in the centre .

The metapleura below the keel are smooth , above it rugoselypunctured .

Allied to the E uropean B . multicolor . The now cosmopo li tan , B .

la ta torius , G r . , probably is found in C eylon . I have seen i t fromIndia

, and lately from South Africa .

44.

— Rhorus sp inipes , sp . nov .

Black ; face , apex of clypeus ,mandibles , malar space , inner o rbits ,a mark on either side of the mesono tum ,

the mark triangularlydilated on the inner side at the apex

,scu tellum

,a bro ad band on

the apex ofthe metanotum , a roundish mark on the upper side ofthebase of mesopleura , a larger quadrangular one on the apex below ,

the usual mark under the hind w ings ,the apex of metapleura ,

themark united to that on the metanotum and the apices of the abdominalsegments , yellow . Four front legs yellow

,the hind coxa black

,

yellow above , the trochanters for the greater part black ,femora

rufous , tibia dark red , blackish at the apex ,tars i black . Wings

hyaline,the stigma fuscous

, 9 .

L ength 7mm . terebra 2 mm .

Kandy .

Antenna longer than the body , the scape marked w ith yellow ,

the flagellum brownish below . Smooth and shining the metanotum obscurely , finely , transversely s triated ,

the basal half furroweddown the middle . Abdomen smoo th

,shining

,densely

,shortly pilose .

Areo let oblique , triangular , shortly appendiculated . Four hindtibia and tars i thickly spinose .

This is probably not a typical E lLorus,bu t there is no o ther genus

into which I canmake it enter . I do not know the type of the genus .In my species the transverse median nervure in hind w ings is brokennear the bo ttom , the transverse median nervure is interstitial , andthe recurrent nervure is interstitialwi th the second transverse cubital .

PIM PL INZE .

45.

—E p irhyssa orna tipes ,sp nov .

Pale fulvous yellow the middle of front,the ocellar region

,the

mark united to the eyes by a black band of equa l width throughout ,

PH YT O PH AG O US AND PARAS IT IC H YM E N O PT E RA . 133

the occiput in the centre,its black mark united to the black on the

vertex by a short line mesonotum excep t for a large mark in thecentre

,longer than broad ,

ofequal w idth and transverse at the baseand apex

,pos t scu tellum

,a narrow line on the base of metanotum ,

alarge , somewhat triangular mark on the apical half, a line on itsapex , a conical mark on the low er s ide of the propleura ,

the low erside and apex ofmetapleura and bands on the base and apex oftheback of the abdomin al segments , deep shining black . Wingshyaline , their apex smoky ,

the nervures and s tigma black . L egscoloured like the body

,the base of the four hinder trochanters

,a

broad band on all the femora behind in the centre above,a shorter

line on the hinder pair in front ; the base and apex of the hind tibiabroadly and the four hinder tars i , black, 6L ength 10mm .

H antane ,March.

An tenna black . Mandibles and the parts at their base black.

Head and thorax shining , smooth , except for the usual striation on

the mesonotum and the scutellum which is finely transverselys triated . Head and pleura covered w ith a short , white pubescence .

The black basal and apical bands on the penultimate abdominalsegments are united w i th a black line down the centre . The apicaljo int of the fore tarsi is black .

46.

— T heronia maskeliyce,sp . nov .

Pallid yellow ,the ocellar region , the mes onotum except for two

lines on the basal three- fourths in the centre and the outer side , amark in the centre of the scutellum , di lated roundly at the apex ,

the base of the metanotum,narrow ly in the centre , broadly at the

sides a largemark roundly narrow ed at the apex , incised at the base,and broad bands on the base ofthe other segments , black . An tennas tout

, as long as thebody ,black,the scape yellow below , the base of

flagellum fuscous . The femora broadly marked wi th black above ,the middle tibia infuscated behind the base of the hind tibia anda broad band below it , fuscous black the four hinder tars i blackish .

Wings clear hyaline , the nervures and stigma black, 9 and 6L ength 10mm . terebra 3mm .

Kandy,August Maskeliya

,April .

Smooth and shining ,covered w ith a short , white down . There is

no central area on the base of the metanotum , bu t two lateral ones ,l onger than wi de

,narrowed towards the apex the outer keel is

s traight , obli que , the inner rounded from its ou ter side a keelruns along the s ides of the segment to its apex ,

there being thus a

134 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

large central area extending from the base to the apex of the metanotum

,the base being narrowed ow ing to the basal area . There is a

curved black line on the occiput .A variable species as regards the s ize ofthe black markings . The

scu tellum may have no black mark the size of the black lines on thelegs varies , that on the hind femora may be c left , who lly or in part ,the pleura may be marked w i th black , and , as is the case w i th manyP imp lides , there is a considerable vari ation in s ize .

E rythrotheronia , gen . nov .

Median segment areo lated,not toothed ; the spiracles longer

than w ide . Scu tellum raised ,s tou tly keeled laterally to near the

apex . Abdomen smooth, w i thou t furrows . E yes incised

,bu t not

deeply on the inner s ide : malar space almos t absent . L ast joint ofantenna shorter than the preceding tw o united . Areolet obli que ,5- angled ; the transverse median nervur e interstitial . Transversemedian nervure in hind w ings broken dis tinctly above the middle .

Temples moderately large, obliquely narrowed . L egs s tou t ; the

claws large,edenta te .

The type of this genus looks like a red X anthop impla or T herom'

a .

In Dr . Ashmead ’

s sys tem it comes near to the New Zealandgenus Allotheronia , from which it differs in the regularly areo lated ,

not dentate median segment . T heronia and N cotherom'

a, differ ,inter a lia , in having pectinated claws.

47.—E rythrotheronia flavolinea ta ,

sp . nov .

Pla te B , fig. 12 .

Ferruginous , smooth ,and shini ng the face

,clypeus ,

mandibles ,palpi , lower ou ter orbits ,

malar space,lower half ofp ropleura , two

lines on the mesonotum,inner side of tegula , the edges of mesonotum

at the base,scu tellar keels

,apex ofscutellum , pos t - scutellum , apica l

s lope of metanotum ,pleura excep t above and the apices of the

abdominal segments,yellow . L egs ferruginous , the four anterior

coxa and trochanters yellow , as are also the hinder trochanters .

Wings hyaline , w i th a s light fuscous - violaceous tinge and highlyiridescent the stigma tes taceous

,the nervures black, 9 and 6.

L ength 14mm . terebra 3mm .

Kandy,July .

Antenna black ,the s cape yellow ,

the flagellum brownish beneath .

Face sparsely,bu t distinc tly punctured

,the s ides raised . Thorax

and abdomen smoo th , shining , impunctate the mesonotum thicklycovered w i th fuscous pubescence . O n the base of the metano tuma re five large area , a large centra l , twice longer than wide , w ith two

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

136 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

fourth segments closely and s trongly punc tured,the furrows crenu

lated . Areo let small , oblique , triangular , shortly appendiculated .

The occipu t is immacu late , except that the ocellar black spots lightly pro jects into i t . Pleura impunctate . O vipos itor as longas the hind tarsi .In Professor Krieger’s work on X antkO p impla this species would

come in near X . splendens . Cf. Bericht d . Naturf. Ges . z u

L eipzig , 1898 , 69 .

50.

— X anthop impla kandyensis , sp . nov .

Y ellow ; the ocellar region , the mark longer than bro ad ,three

almos t continuous ma rks on the mesonotum at the base,the central

placed more in advance than the o thers longer than bro ad ,transverse

a t the base ,rounded behind , the la teral longer compared w ith the

w idth ,more irregular , s lightly inc ised in the middle at the base

,

rounded and narrowed at the apex two irregu lar , slightly obliquemarks ,

narrow ed on the inner s ide , on the firs t segment two largemarks ,

bro ader than long , w i th the sides rounded,on the third ;

two somewhat s imilar ones on the fifth,bu t bro ader , more slender

compared w i th the length , and two s imilar but larger (the largest ofall) on the seventh and two marks on the base of the metano tum ,

broader than long , transverse behind , rounded at the apex ,black .

Antenna black ,the flagellum brownish

,the scape yellow below .

Wings clear hyaline , the nervures and stigma black, 9 .

L ength 11mm . terebra 4mm .

K andy , July .

Face and clypeus closely , dis tinctly , bu t not very strongly punctured . Thorax smoo th and shining . The areo la on metanotumbro ader than long , slightly obliquely narrowed from the apex to thebase the lateral area are of almost the same w idth , the ou ter sideobliquely narrow ed follow ing them is an area which becomesobliquely narrow ed from the base on the inner to the apex on theou ter . Basal tw o segments of abdomen smooth , the others closelybut not s trongly punctured the furrow s closely s triated .

The occipu t has no black .

Allied to X . puncta ta , F .

51.

— X anthop impla parva ,sp . nov .

Pallid yellow ,a triangular mark enclos ing the ocelli an irregular

transverse line on the base ofmesonotum ,w i th ragged edges , a mark

at the base of the s cu tellum ,two marks , narrowed from the ou ter to

the inner side , on the base of the metano tum , and marks , bro aderthan long , on the firs t

,third , and fo llow ing segments , black . L egs

co loured like the body ,two small marks on the hind tro chanters

,a

PH YT O PH AG O US AND PARAS IT IC H YM E N O PT E RA . 137

mark on the base of the hind tibia ,and a smaller one on the base of

the hind tars i,black . Wings clear hyaline

,the nervures blackish ,6

L ength 6mm .

Peradeniya ,August .

Face closely punctured . Thorax impunctate the parapsida lfurrows indicated only a t the base . There is no central area on thebase of the metanotum , but two semicircular large la teral onesenclosing the black spo ts ; there is none on the apex . The basaltwo abdominal segments smoo th the furrow s s triated ; the othersegments are closely punctured . The apex of the wings s lightlyinfuscated . Base of mesonotum rounded .

Thi s and the following species are very much smaller than any ofthose described hitherto .

52 .—X anthopimpla minuta , sp . nov .

Yellow ; a triangular, mark enclos ing the ocelli , the scu tellar depression , two marks on the first abdominal segment , a transverse lineon the third

,two closely continuous ones on the fourth

,two more

widely separated ones on the fifth , two still more w idely separatedmarks on the s ixth , and a line on the seventh, black . The base ofthehind tibia marked w i th black . Wings hyaline , the nervures and

s tigma black , 9 .

L ength 5mm .

K andy , July .

Face minutely punctured . Base of mesonotum transverse,the

parapsidal furrows di s tinct , the middle lobe clearly separated .

Smoo th and shining . There is no area on the base of metanotumthere is a clearly defined lateral area, broader than long , broad on theou ter , becoming gradually narrowed to a fine poin t on the ilmer side ;the sides of the metano tum are keeled . Abdomen closely punctured

,

w ith dis tinct , s triated furrow s . The apical half of the first segmentis raised

,clearly separated ,

smooth ,ofequal w idth and tw ice longer

than wide . Antennal scape for the greater part yellow,the flagel

lum brownish beneath . The antenna are clearly longer than thebody . The ovipositor short .This species can easily be dis tinguished from X . parva by the

dis tinct parapsidal furrow s and by the mesonotum being transverse,

not rounded at the base .

Philopsyche, gen . nov .

E yes very large , reaching to the base of the mandibles , there beingno malar space on the inner side they are di stinctly incised . Facekeeled down the middle , clearly separated from the clypeus by a

138 S PO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

furrow the extreme apex ofclypeus depressed,no t qui te transverse .

L as t jo int ofantenna as long as the preceding two uni ted . Scu tellum roundly convex . Transverse medi an nervure in hind w ingsbroken far below the middle . Areolet triangular, small

,appendi

culated . Transversemedian nervure in fore w ings placed immediatelybehind the transverse basal , almos t interstitial . Abdomen and

legs as in P imple . Metathoracic spiracles round . C law s s lender ,curved , untoo thed . The sharp lateral ridges of the mesono tum dono t extend on to the s cu tellum . The eyes do not converge anteriorlyThe las t jo int ofhind tarsi abou t three times longer than the preceding .

If the apex ofthe clypeus is to be cons idered impressed anteriorlyat apex this genus

,in Dr . Ashmead ’s arrangement

,w ould come in

near Itaplectis and E remockila , w i th neither ofwhich can i t be confounded if no t impressed ’ then i t would come nearest to T roma tobia

,which is easily known from it by the entire eyes . The meta

pleural keel is dis tinct,complete . The disco - cubital nervure is

angled beyond the middle , bu t not broken by the s tump of a nervure .

The genus should be readily known by the large , clearly incised eyes ,reaching close to the base of the mandibles ,

round metathoracicspiracles

,angled disco -cubital nervure , transverse medi an nervure

inb

hind w ings broken near the bo ttom , and smooth , white -bandedapex ofabdominal segments

53.

—Philopsycke a lboba ltea ta , sp . nov .

Pla te B ,fig. 10.

Black the antennal scape except above , palpi , hind edge ofprono tum ,

tegula ,and the apices of the basal s ix abdominal seg

ments,white . Four front legs white

,the hind coxa and femora

red the basal joint of trochanters red,the apical white the hind

tibia at extreme base , and broadly in the middle , white , the restblack the hind tarsi black

,the basal jo int white to near the apex

, 6.

L ength7—8 mmBred from Psyche a lbipes and P . subtemlbata .

Matale ; Peradeniya ,Augus t .Head smoo th and shining

,the face covered w i th white

,the clypeus

w ith longer white hair the former obscurely shagreened . M esono

tum and scu tellum closely punctured,thickly covered w i th white

pubescence . Metano tum smooth,shining

,and bare at the base and

apex , the middle punctured and thickly covered w i th long whitehair . Abdomen closely and s trongly punctured except on the whiteapices of the segments and thickly covered w i th black pubescence .

Pleura smooth , almost bare , except on the metapleura above the keel .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

140 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

there . Four anterior legs yellow , tinged slightly wi th rufous thehind coxa and femora rufous , their trochanters yellow hind tibiablack

,their base narrowly and the middle broadly white ; hind tarsi

black,the metatarsus to near the apex black . Wings hyaline , the

nervures and stigma black , the areolet small , triangular , w i th along pedicle,

it being as long as the branch of the first transversecubital nervure , 9 .

L ength 12 mm terebra 5mm .

Pundalu -oya .

Face sparsely pilose and punctured , the middle keeled . Apexof clypeus brown round the central incision . Mandibular teethpiceous . Front and vertex smooth and shining . Prothorax smooth ,

except along the upper edges . Mesothorax and metathorax closelypunctured , thickly coveredw i th pale pubescence on the metanotumthe pubescence is longer and more fulvous in tint . E xcept at theapices of the segments the back of the abdomen is closely and strongly punctured the apical segments are only slightly punctured .

The antenna are stout , as long as . the abdomen ; the last jointis as long as the preceding two joints uni ted . The apices of thetarsal joints are spinose . The metapleura below the keel aresmooth . The hind coxa below and the extreme apex of the hindfemora are black .

C hariwp impla was described by me in the Journ . S tr . Br . RoyalAsiatic Society , 1902 , 48 .

56.—L issopimpla rufipes , sp . nov .

Pla te B ,fig. 14.

Black the upper orbits broadly , the outer narrowly above , broadly below the malar space , face , clypeus , labrum ,

mandibles,palpi

,

a raised line on the basal half of the pronotum , interrupted by theparapsidal furrows

,a mark on the apex of the middle lobe of the

mesonotum,transverse at the base , gradually roundly narrowed to

the apex ,scutellar keels to shortly beyond the middle , the apex of

scutellum,the lateral keels

,post - scutellum

,the three tubercles on the

apex of metanotum ,a line on either side of the base of pronotum , the

lower edge of propleura ,tubercles , a small roundish mark on the

base of mesopleura above the middle , the basal half below , alarge mark

,roundly narrowed at the apex ,

obliquely truncated atthe base on the apex of the metapleura , the apex above the hindcoxa

,two narrow lines on the centre of the first abdominal segmen t

and about the apical third of the others , yellow ; L egs rufous , thefour coxa and trochanters yellowish , the apex of the hind coxamarked w ith black , as is also the base . Wings clear hyaline , highly

PH Y T O PH AG O US AND PARAS IT IC H YM E N O PT E RA . 141

iridescent , the nervures and stigma black or fuscous black . Thehind tibia are darker coloured , the hind tarsi fuscous , 9 .

L ength 9—12 mm . ; terebra 3—4mm .

Maskeliya , April ; Peradeniya , August .

Antenna longer than the body , slender the 8—12 joints of flagellum white . L abrum and clypeus closely and rather strongly punctured . Face depressed , stou tly keeled in the centre , the s ides of thedepression roundly curved . Prothorax and mesothorax smooth ,

shining the pleural sutures closely striated. Metanotum,excep t in

the centre at the base , closely transversely , the upper part of themetapleura obliquely , striated . Areolet , as in the typ ical species ofthe genus , obli que , the nervu res uniting above . Femoral toothsmall

,but di stinct .

The occurrence of L issop impla in C eylon is of great interest , thegenus hitherto havingbeen regarded as Australian .

T amera,gen . nov .

Abdominal petiole long and slender , narrowed at the base , as longas the following tw o segments united ; the segments smooth and

shining , longer than wide there is a projecting ovi positor . Medi ansegment uniformly coriaceous , without a transverse keel there isa stout metap leural keel . L egs slender the claws not pectinatedhind coxa three times longer than w ide . Areolet wi th a long pedicle ,the cubital nervures roundly curved the recurrent nervure isreceived at its apex transverse medi an nervure receivedbehind the transverse basa l . C lypeus roundly convex ,

separatedfrom the face its apex broadly rounded . O cciput transverse theocelli placed close to the edge . Temples very short , almost obsoletebehind the eyes . An tenna nearly as long as the body ; the lastj oint longer than the penultimate

,but not so longas the preceding

two united .

The eyes are large , converging slightly above there is a distinctmalar space the ocelli are on the outer edge of the vertex . Thekeel on the edge of the metastemum projects at the apex into adistinct tooth . Metathoracic spiracles small , oval . The abdominalpetiole is longer , more s lender and narrower at the base than it is inL issono ta . If it is to be called sess ile ,” in Ashmead’s table (U . S .

Nat . Mus . XXIII . , 49 ) i t would fit in near T revoria,wi th which i t

cannot be confounded ; if petiolate then it would come in nearAtropha .

57.— T anemannulipes , sp . nov.

Pla te B , fig. 11.

Black , smooth , and shining , except the pleura and metanotum ,

which are closely and strongly punctured the latter more coarsely

142 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

than the former the clypeus , mandibles , palpi , a spot on the ma larspace , the inner orbits , more broadly above than below , scutellum ,

a line on the centre of the pronotum , tegula ,tubercles

,the apex

of metapleura the basal thi rd of the first abdominal segment ,about the basal third of the second and third ,

the apex of the thirdmore narrow ly , and the apical segments , yellow . L egs rufous , thefour front coxa and trochanters tinged w i th yellow the hind tibiaand tarsi fuscous , tinged wi th rufous , their base whi te . Wingshyaline , the apex of the radial and of the third cubital smoky thestigma fuscous , 9 .

L ength 8 mm terebra 5mm .

Hatton .

58 .— L z

’

ssonota greca i , sp . nov.

Black ; the clypeus broadly at the apex , more broadly in the centre ,mandibles except the teeth , palpi , underside of the antennal scape ,and the lower edge of the propleura , yellow ; first abdominal segment

,basal thi rd of the second, the base of the third narrowly ,

and of the fourth still more narrow ly , red the apices of the secondand third yellow , tinged with rufous . L egs red the anterior coxaand trochanters and the middle coxa at the base , yellow ; the hindtibia and tarsi black . Wings hyaline , the stigma and nervures darkfuscous , 9 .

L ength 8 mm terebra 5mm .

Peradeniya , March .

C losely and regularly punctured . First segment of abdomenclosely , dist inc tly , longitudinally striated ,

except in the middle a tthe apex the second and third segments and the base of the fourthclosely and regularly punctured ; the apical smooth and shining ; thelast and the apex of the penultima te whi te . Areolet not appen~

diculated .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

SPO L IA ZE YL AN ICA Pl at e B

Wes t ,Newman ad nanli th

H YM E NO PT E RA

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

144 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

NBTES UN SNAKES COLLECTED AT HAKGALA, CEYLON.

By F . WA L L , C AP T A IN ,I.M . S .

Fyz abacl , U nited P rovinces , Ind ia .

H RO U G H the kindnes s of Mr . Nock I have received twocol l ections of snakes at different times from Hakgala

,

C eylon feet) .The number of sp ecies included i s smal l and al l are

common ; never thel ess, col l ecti ons such as th ese are of disti nctvalue with reference to distribution . It wil l be seen also thatsome very interesting informati on has been gleane d from thenumerous specimens of Asp ida r a tr a chyp r octa and Ancistrodonhyp na le. I have omitt ed to give measurements, as the specimen swere al l preserved in spiri t

,and under these condi ti ons do not

lend themselve s to accu rate investigati on .

Asp idu ra trachyp rocta .

(48 specimens . )With reference to thi s Species I notic e G iinther say s (Rept .

Bri t. Ind . , p . 203) Thi s speci es i s near ly as common in C eyl onas A . bra chyor rhos . In the l ocali ty of Hakgala A . tra chy

p rocta i s eviden tly not only vastly more numerous thanA . bra chy

or rhos, but by far the commonest snake to be met wi th at al l .N0 single specimen of A . bra ckyor rhos was included .

Fcoal— S everal specimens had their stomachs distended with asoft putty-l ike mass , the nature of which I could not determine .O nce I thought I could distinguish a sl ug, and once a grub . O n

four occasions without doubt the ingested mater ial consisted ofearth-worms . I never found traces of any hard-cased insects .B reeding

— The ovar i an fo l l i cl es are normal ly about3} i nch in

length . In one specimen I found 8 fol li cl es (4 in each ovary),about 3

} in ch long, and in another 6 (3i n each ovary) about thesame size

,and these appeared to be impregnated . The dates of

both are not known . A third specimen obtained on the l0th ofAugust, 1904, had 14 follicl es (6i n one ovary and 8 i n the other)enlarged to i t of an inch . The smallest specimens, which Ibel ieve were hatchl ings , measured 41»and 4151, inches . The latterwere found in company w i th an adul t femal e on the 10th of

SNAK E S C O L L E C T E D AT H AK G AL A , C E YL O N .

August . The adult, however, showed nothing unu sual uponanatomical i nvestigation . The navel involved 2 shields inboth cases . In the 6 10ventral s intervened between the naveland the anal shield

,in the 9 7.

S eneca— O f the 48 specimens col lected, 21 were males and 27females . Without actual ly measur ing them ,

I think there i sno doubt that the females were usual ly larger . Adul t males hadal l the scal es about the anal region keel ed . In the median rowsthese were tubercu late

,and often bi , tri , or pluridentate, and

in the l owest lateral rows markedly spinose,with the points

directed backwards . The spines were hooked , reminding onefo rcibly of rose -thorns

,and were attached by a long base to the

anter i or three -fifth s of each scale .

In young mal es,or at least in some , the keel s w ere obtusely

tuberculate as in females . The tai l s of the males were longer,and

the subcaudals var i ed from 21—26, whereas in females theseshields numbered from 11—16. The ventral s in mal es werehowever 135—148 , against 139 - 151 in females .S ca le p ecu lia r i ties .

— The scale s an teri or ly (two head- l engthsbehind the head) number 15, mid -body 15

,poster i or ly (two head

l engths before vent) 15, keel s w ere absent in al l these si tuat ions .The vertebral row was the narrowest of the seri es

,and the

ultimate row very sl ightly largest . The supracaudals were in oddrows, as i s the rule where the subcaudals are enti re . T he firstsubcaudal was as often divi ded as entire .Abnorma li ties — O ne sp ec imen had no pra ocular . The upper

postocular was confluent with the pari etal in one . The l abi al swere 7

,of which the 4th only touched the ey e on one side in one

spec imen ; 7with the 5th on ly touch ing the eye on the left sidei n two Specimens .O ne very aberrant specimen requi res Special remark, viz . , amal e in which the subcaudals numbered only 16. In addi tionthe scal es anteri orl y (two head - lengths beh ind the head were15or 14

,mid -body 13, posteri orly (two head - l engths before the

vent) 13. Investigation Showed that the 2nd and 3rd rows abovethe ventral s blended on both S ides, one rather before the other,at the S ite I se lec t to count the Scales anter iorly . The large rowoccasi oned by thi s coale scence di vided and blended two or threetimes before the rows were final ly establ ished as 13. O ne seesthe same vac il lati on frequently exhibi ted in snakes whose scal esnorma l ly reduce in numbe r, as for instance in T r op idonotus

p/isca tor , where the scale s number 19 in the anter i or and midbody

,and 17posteriorly . In al l other respects thi s specimen was

normal , and so probably does not deserve specific i solation .

146 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

C olman— U niform or near ly uniform black,or bl ackish

dorsal ly,or varying shades of brown , ol i ve -brown , or ol ive-green

more or l e ss spotted or speckled blackish . The spots vertebral lyand lateral ly have a tendency to confluence

,and may form lines .

Bel ly pal e yel low i sh , y el l ow, ochraceous , or ruddy, Sparsely orprofusely spotted, speckled, or marbled with black .

T r op idonotus stola tus .

O ne femal e ki l l ed on the 12 th S eptember,1904, besides

contain ing a much digested frog was found to be pregnant .There were 8 eggs (6i n one ovary and 2 i n the other) . Theventral s were 139 , subcaudals 66, of which the 32nd , 50th , 5l st,59 th, and 60th were entire . As in Malabar specimens the labial sw ere 8 , with the 3rd, 4th , and 5th touching the ey e . The nasal swere in contact with the 1st and 2md labial s, a very unusualcharacter in Indian examples of thi s sp eci es . U suall y i t i s on lythe 1st l abial that i s apposed to the nasal .

Z amenis mucosa s .

O ne specimen about one -third grown , with nothing remarkabl eto mention .

Na ta tr ip udians .

I rece ived the head of one of thi s Species , which i s uncommonat the same alti tude in India .

Ancistrodon hypna le.

Twenty-seven Specimens of thi s speci es were col lected , so thatit must be a very common snake i n th is l ocal i ty .

Food.— It evidently subsists mainly upon the skink, L ygosoma

tap robanense, as no fewer than 11 spec imens contained one ormore of these l i zards

,or i n some instances the tai l s only . I als o

found in the stomach of 5exampl es smal l soft- shel led eggs abouthalf an inch l ong

,probably lacert ine , but possibly ophidian .

From one male specimen one such was seen protruding from theanu s

,w hich I extracted and examined . I t consisted of the egg

envelope only,compressed, and wrinkled longitudinal ly, bu t with

no O pening that I could discover, so that i t was a mystery tome how the contents had been absorbed unless by a processof exosmosi s . I floated i t in w ater, teased out the wrinkles,and examined i t most closely , then‘ cut i t careful ly from pol e topol e and re- examined i t from the interior, but could find no susp icion of a breach i n i ts continuity . Birds’ eggs are occasional lypassed entire per anum

,

” but are more frequently,I be l ieve

,

whol ly disso lved by the digestive j uices . Perhaps the coriaceousinvestment of ova such as thi s offers a greater resi stance to the

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

l 48 S PO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

NllTES CHIEFLY 0M BIRDS SEENAT THE PEARL FISHERY CAMP,MARCH ANDAPRIL, 1905.

By w . E . WA IT .

IRD-L IFE i n the dry l i ttoral zone of the north-western partof the I sland possesses many distinctive features

,and as the

bi rds which fo r three -quarters of the year are l ef t in undisturbedpossession of the camp site do not appear to be scared aw ay by thebustl e du ring the fishery, one constantly saw forms or markedhabits unnoticed el sew here .

Among the flocks of B rahminy Kites and Gray C rows w hichgathered over the offal on the beach

,one general ly saw two or

three Marsh Harr iers (C i rcus a ruginosus) . The C ommon andBlue -tail ed Bee - eaters (M erop s vz

'

r idz'

s and phi llip ensi s) chose thesame unsavoury haun ts to fea st on the sw arms of flies . Therewas a foetid pool fed by the drain which carried off the refu sew ater from Mr . D ixon ’s oyster -washing machine . Here theymight be seen not on ly haw k ing for insects on the su rface, butdipping their beaks i nto the water

,probably to fish out the

drowned maggo ts w hich were carried dow n in myr iads .O n the Short walk from my bungalow just above the beach to

the Kachcheri a few hundred yards inl and I invari ably met withthe Rufou s a ped Shrike (L ama s caniceps) fli tting among themustard trees . Thi s bi rd ,w hich i s I bel ieve a lmost c onfined to the.Manaar Di stric t

,was one of the commonest in camp . Towards the

end ofthe Fi shery w hi l e out on an even ing s tro l l w i th Mr . Fergusonw e saw one attack a large rat- snake .

The bird swooped dow n into some high grass near the road,and

w e watched to see what i t had caught . Immediately a six- foo trat- snake came out into the open, fol lowed by the Shrike , whichpecked v i ciously at i ts head . The snake made straight for ahol low tree close by

,up which i t d isappeared , and the bird ,

catching S ight of us , flew away . I t had probab ly been driving offthe intruder from its nest

,but the wonder i s that a bird no larger

than a thrush cowed such a big snake .Between the Governor’s and the Government Agen t’s bungalows

lay a small O pen space on w hich stood tw o or three gnarl ed trees .These were frequently occupied by a few C hestnut-headed Beeeaters (M . S w inhoii ) and a pair of Hoopoes ( Up up a cey lonensz

’

s) .

B IRDS S E E N AT T H E PE AR L F IS H E R Y C AM P .

C l ose by w as a sandy bank,in the s ide Ofw hich a pari ah bel ong

ing to Mr . D ixon had excavated some burrows wherein shebrought up a l itter of pupp ies . I noti ced that anothe r par iah haddug a simi lar burrow i n the bluff above the Government kottu .

They w ere doubtless made fo r the sak e of coo lne ss and shade ,w hich could no t be obtained o therw i s e . I wonde r whether thej ackal , or any species of wi ld dog , i s ever in the habi t of makingsuch lai rs whether in fact thi s was a reversi on to the instinct sof the fox or an adaptati on to env i ronment . No one that I askedhad not iced pariahs el sewhere make burrow s l ike these .

The neighbourhood of the tank set apar t for drinking w aterw as a favouri te roosting- place for a large flo ck of the L esser Whi teE gret . A few Whist l ing Teal occasional ly came there

,while the

s trip of j ungl e on the no rth Shel tered several pairs of the GrayIndian Dove ( T a r ta r r isor z

’

us) . A so l i tary Grey Heron (A .

cinerea ) used O ften to fish in the shal l ow s at the head of the tank .

T O the south of thi s tank on the opposi te side of thecart trackleading to the Manaar road lay several i nsign ificant l ittl e tanksirrigating a smal l tract of fields which during the fishery layfal l ow . In the smal l trees and bushes w hich fringed the w aterthe Black Drongos (D . a tra ) had thei r headquarters, while ontwo occasions I saw a pair of the p retty l itt le Yel l ow-frontedWoodpecker (P iousmahr a ttens is) round some E uphorbias whichgrew near one of the tiny bunds .

S outh O f the camp,the bare t idal flats of the lagoon at the

river mouth w ere the happy hunting grounds of innumerablew ade rs, from the L arge S tone P l over to the L i tt l e S tint . S everalSp ecie s of tern flocked here

,sometimes accompan ied by a colony

of the beautifu l Brow n -headed Gu l l,w hich usual ly kept to the

sand - spi t on the south side of the bar . O n the northern bank, inthe face Of the sand clifi j u st under the Governor ’s bungalow, alarge Fi sh O w l (K etup a ceylonens is) had his burrow, at theent rance of w hich he u sed to si t of an evening bl inking andruffing his p lumage un ti l i t was t ime for him to fly Off on hisrounds . A l ittl e fur ther up the r iver I occasi onal ly met withthe Pi ed Kingfisher (C eryle r udis) skimming al ong under thebank .

O f other noticeabl e birds, a species of Sky -l ark could be heardtw i ttering in the air any morn ing

,and a Gray Partri dge (O r tyg

arm'

s p ondicer iana ) might be found on the outskirts of the camp .

A l arge Fi sh- eagl e came S everal times to the lagoon ; whether i twas H . leucoga ster , or P . ichthya

’tus I never got close enoughto ascertain . I al so heard of the occurrence of a Pariah Kite

govinda ) , but d id not see i t myself .

150 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

In concl usion I would expres s the h O pe that some one possessing a good know ledge oforn i thology could spare a vi s it to thecamp w hen a pearl fishery is in progress . My O bservation s w eremade at O dd interval s du ring tw o very busy months my knowledge Ofbirds i s l imited , and if it had not been for Mr . Ferguson ,w ho know s the Natural H istory of the d i stri ct wel l

,and in whose

company I saw prac tical ly al l the species menti oned,I shou l d

have been,i n many cases

,uncertain of my identificat ion .

The circums tances are particu larly favourable for observati on .

Most of the birds have paired befo re their qu iet i s invaded . Theyare unwi l l ing to l eave the breeding-p laces they have chosen

,and

soon become accustomed to the busy crow d,whi ch passes them

by unheeded . For the Specie s that feed on in sects and carrionthere i s the attracti on Of a food supply, the l ik e ofw hich theycan find now here el s e .

An O flflcial at the camp,how ever good hi s know l edge O f the

subj ect might be,has bu t l i ttl e l ei sure . T o the orni tho l ogi s t an

interesting but out-of—the-w ay dis trict i s rendered easi ly access ib l eby the steamers w hich during the fishery run from C ol ombo tothe camp . His v isi t cou ld not fai l to be of interest to himse l f .and wou l d

,I feel sure

,add considerably to the know l edge of the

avi -fauna of C ey l on .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

are s cored w i th the marking aw l,w hich i s a smal l bone tool w i th aSharp poin t i n serted near one end . The comb i s now set in thevi ce ,w hi ch is hel d conven i ent ly against a stone by pressure of thew orker ’s leg (Pl . A ,

fig .

The vice (fig . I . ) consi s ts of two pieces ofwood tied togethernear one end

,and having a w edge inserted at the other, which ,

w hen i t is dr iven in,causes the Short ends to grip very tightly

w hateve r i s p l aced between them . The v ice i s usual ly ornamented with a l i ttl e p rimitive carv ing . T he teeth are now out

(PI. A, fig . first on one si de , smal l teeth w i th a fine saw , thenon the other , coarse teeth w i th a thicker saw the se teeth are ou t

very regu l arly and w i th as ton i shing qu i ckness . E ach tooth isnext fi led back and fron t to make its edges smooth . Final ly thecomb i s taken out of the v ice and a s imple pattern i nci sed w i th achi sel - shaped iron too l

,as in the upper comb (Pl . B , fig . or

Fig. I .

A, the vice, length 115inches (B andarawela District) .

B and C , two pattern -marking tools (Pallebedde, Atakalan Korale, P rovince of

S abaragamuw a) (reduced) .

with a two or three-pointed tool as in the l ower comb (Pl. B, fig.

The pointed too l s (B and C ) in fig . I . were used in ornamentingthe comb last referred to

,w hich was made at Pallebedde,Atakalan

Korale , Province of S abaragamuwa . L ast of all the comb i spoli shed by rubbing with w ood ashes and horn shavings .More e laborately carved and pierced horn combs are sometimes

met with,bu t their actual manufacture has not been seen by us,

and it i s very doubtfu l i f they are any l onger made .

The comb shown in fig . I I . is p ierced , and deeply carved wi tha characteri sti c Kandyan pattern . Fig . 4

,P] . B , shows a

more el aborate comb,carved and pierced w i th the ndr i la id

(w oman creeper) design . The mi r i la ia' i s a w el l know n and

interesting Kandyan pattern,consisting essential ly of a femal e

figure holding a creeper in each hand . In the horn comb show nthe figure seems almost to Spring from the tree i tself, suggestinga. po ssibl e origin of the design in the idea of a sacred tree wi th i ts

KANDYAN H O RN C O M B S .

in-dwel l ing or guardian spi ri t but in other exampl es the low erpart of the figure i s ful ly developed

,and the dress carefu l ly

indicated (as for exampl e on an embroidered betel bag in ourpossession) , and the pattern i s a good deal le ss suggestive of amythological origin i t seems l ikely

,however

,that i t may once

have had a symbol ical sign ificance of the sort suggested . Thedesign i s a very usual one and is found on all sorts of Kandyandecorative work .

A sti l l more el aborate comb i s seen in fig . 5, Pl . C ; th i sunusual ly large comb i s carved and p ierced w i th a harzsa p ufuvadesign (geese with intertw ined necks) , and four heads ofma lcar a sin the corners, and inlaid as well w ith ivory pegs, square for onebi rd and round for the other . This hav

oi sa p a ta va i s al so a wel l

known Kandy an de s ign it may be found for exampl e on such

Fig. II .—C arved and p ierced horn comb, Ratnapura District, x é

;

variou s things as key plates, embro i dered betel bags, and pain tedpottery . I t w i l l be seen that these decorated ho rn combs arestriking and approp riate in character

,and vari ed and individual

in the ir o rnamentat ion , and it i s a reproach to the modernS inhal ese that there i s now - a -dav s so l i ttl e demand for good homemade wares of thi s or any k ind .

NO T E .— S ince thi s paper on Horn C ombs was written i t has

occur red to u s that the nar i la ta' design so frequently seen inKandyan decorative art may possibly be derived from the ear lyrepresentations of the goddess S i ri (L akshmi ) , seated on a lotusand holding lotus flowers in ei ther hand . I f so, the abundanceof fol iage is a late rather than a primitive feature ; but its

154 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

development from the original simple sprays appears quitenatural considering the fondness for “ creeper decorati on shownin Kandyan design . O n thi s vi ew the most elaborate types

,in

w hich human faces appear l ike flow ers amongst the fol iage (themain s tems of w hich are alw ay s grasped in the tw o hand s O f theseated figure) , would be a sti l l later development .

DE S CRIP T ION O F PL AT E S .

PL AT E .A .

Rodiyas making Horn C ombs at E l la, near Bandarawela .1.— U sing the rasp a vice

,knives

,and other tool s are seen

in the foreground,ready for use .

2 .— C utting the teeth an adze i s se en on the right .

PL AT E B .

3.— Above : horn comb made by Rodiyas at E l la ; inci sed

pattern done w i th a chisel - shaped tool . Below horncomb made at Pallebedde (S ab.) inci sed pattern donewith the three-poin ted too l show n in the text

,fig

.I .

x 3. Authors ’ col lection .

4.— Horn comb carved and pierced w ith na

’

r i la id design .

x 3. Kegal la Kachcher i col lection .

PL A T E 0.

5.—Horn comb carved and pierced w i th ha psa p l tg‘llva designand four heads of maka ras

,and in laid with ivory pegs .

x 3. Authors’ col l ection .

6.

— Ano ther example of the mir i la ta' design , from anembroi dered betel bag . x 3. Au thors’ col lecti on . Theembroid ery i s chain sti tch in red and white cotton on

(Kandyan) blue co tton . C ompare this with fig . 4,Pl. B .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

1. O n the L or is in cap tivi ty .— With any wi ld animal in capti

vity the first and most important thing to find out i s whatfood i s most l ikely to sui t i ts taste . And with a very smal lnocturnal beast

,such as the L ori s

,concerning whose hab it s I

imagine that but l it tl e is known,thi s i s not at first easy . A

l i st of what I have found L or i s eat and thrive on , and of what Ihave known him eat and not thrive on, may therefore be ofinterest .First of al l , I am convinced that the L ori s i s by nature purely

insect ivorou s , and even carnivorou s . If not fed for a day or S O hewil l eat pl antains

,pumpkins

,boil ed rice

,&c . ,

so wi l l a hungryl eopard eat rice

,or a starving man h is boots , but not wi th any

marked gusto .

What a L or i s real ly enj oys i s a heavy meal of grasshoppersal l vari eti es seem to be equal ly appreciated , from the large brownred-underw inged p iece do resistance to the thin pale greensalad .

” I have known a L ori s eat 60mixed grasshoppers at asitting . C r i ckets , moths, ordinary fl ies

,most beetl e s

,and cook »

roaches are al l accepted eager l y ; whi l e the rather horrid ski llwith which a lori s sei zes and mani p ulates a strongly struggl inggecko seems to suggest that thi s i s a not unfami l iar prey .

Worms,brightly- coloured butterfli es

,c er tain evi l -col oured

beetles,and meat

,such as chicken

,beef

,&c . , are rej ected, some

times rather indignantly,and I have k nown the brow n She l l

backed varie ty of cockroach (I do not know its name) make aL oris very sick .

About a teaspoonful of water a day seems to be the correctquan ti ty of l iquid

,but I fancy the l i tt l e beast can go fo r a long

time without any drink at al l he must often have to do withouti t in the hot windy weather from June to S eptember .After food

,perhaps the next most important subj ect is medic ine .

With the L ori s I have only experi enced two forms of il l -health,

di arrhoea and cramp, and both seem curable by the same remedy,viz . , O pium, taken in the form of laudanum ; three drops in at easpoonful of milk and water i s i n my experience a safe dose ,and i t can be repeated twice in a day if the patient can be got totake it he can be forced to do so of course

,but he i s rather frai l .

Y 8 (l7)05

156 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

I f moral characteri s tic s be added to physical,the L or i s i s very

high in the scal e for hi s manners are excel l ent,rather l ike those

of an old-fashioned chi ld who does not play,bu t take s hi s

pl easure in some more dignified manner . For the L or i s neverplays ; l ife i s for h im a very seri ous matter . E xcept the Pangolin , al l o ther animal s I have kept or known , play , al l but theL ori s . If one comes to th ink of it

,any L or i s who in hi s natural

haunts attracted attenti on by f ri sking abou t and play ing,w ould

very soon be snapped up by an ow l or other enemy,for he i s

ve ry weak , and very slow , and his safe ty, l ike that of a new boyin a publ ic school , must depend almost entirely on unostentati ousself- effacement . Hence hi s good manner s .B ut besides modesty he has one other means of defence

,and a

very curious one indeed i t is . For he imitates a cobra . Beforerelating the in stance in which I saw th i s done

,I mu st supportmy

te stimony by the only reference to thi s habit that I know of .S i nhal ese of the North-C entral Province have several times tol dme l itt l e stor ies about the U nahapuluwa,

” and I have thoughtthem far-fetched and absurd . And among the stor i e s Ofi ts habitstold me by j ungle men has been this “ That the L or i s copies thesound of the cobra as a means of sel f-defence .Now that I have had an opportuni ty of testing thi s story and

of finding it true,the other yarns do not seem so absurd . It

happened this way .

I was s i tting in the verandah spoi l ing my eyes by reading bythe l ast fl i cker of aftergl ow, when I heard the regul ar breathingsound made by a cobra when he inflates and deflates h is body . A

cobra moving ordinar i ly,or hunting anyth ing much weaker than

himsel f, does no t make this sound , but only when w ith expandedhood he si ts up to fight .With the breathing sound came the occasi onal quick hi s s of a

strike . So I got up and took a sti ck for I thought that a cobramight be attacking my L ori s, who was not in his cage , bu t onlytethered to the top of it .The sound came from my room, where , although it was dusk,

there was pl enty of l ight to kil l a snake .A s I went into the room I looked at the cage,which was on the

floor,and on the top of i t I saw the outl ine of a cobra si tting up

w i th hood expanded , and threatening a cat who crouched aboutsixfeetaw ay . Thi s was the L ori s,w ho,w ith hi s arms and shouldershunched up

,was a sufficiently good imitation of a cobra to take

me in,as he swayed on hi s l ong legs , and every now and then l e t

ou t a perfect cobra’s hi ss . As I have said , i t was dusk at the time ,but the L oris i s nocturnal , so that hi s expedient would rarely be

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

158 SPO L IA ZE YL ANICA .

hitherto exh ibi te d a gentle and even timid disposi tion,commencedto behave in a quite extraordinary manner to -day . O n l ookinginto the cage I found i t tightly coi l ed round a toad many times toolarge for i ts capacity , vi sibly constri cting it, but not attemptingto sw allow it . I t presently abandoned the toad and then struckout wil dly at anything that approached i t, i ncludi ng my hand ,though I have p reviously repeatedly handled i t wi th impunity .

The exci ted helena then— without any provocation— seized alarge Whip- snake by the middl e of the body , around w hich i tinstantly coil ed itsel f in a tight knot, remaining i n that posi tionfor hal f an hour— i ts head free , but its body tightly constr icteddefy ing al l attempts of the whip - snake (which appeared greatlyinconveni enced) to di slodge i t . Wh en offered a smal l l i zardas a distraction— it bi t at i t v icious ly, but would not retain i t . A

large T r op idonotus stola tus was next assai l ed in the same manne r,but that snake easi ly threw i t Off. In the interval s of theseattacks it moved about the cage wi th the anterior part of its bodyl ateral ly compressed and twisted to one S i de

,thereby displaying

to unusual advantage the whi te lateral ocel l i . The constri ctinghabi t was most marked, and i s probably employed when capturi ngprey but I have not yet detected i t in the act of feeding .

E . ERNE ST GRE E N .

4. O n the nes ting of the snake, B unga rus cey lonicus .— I have

received specimens of some eggs and young snakes which I haveidentified as B unga rus ceylonicus, G iinth . My corresponden ttel l s me that they were found in a shal l ow depression

,beneath a

wood -pi le,i n the month of January, 1905.

“ Both parents werecur l ed up in the holl ow (made l ike a duck’s nest

,but no t l ined

in any way,just scooped and holl owed out of earth) , and under

them were lots of eggs and l i ttle snakes . ”The eggs have a soft leathery shel l and are l ightly agglutinatedtogether . They are cyl indr ical , wi th rounded ends , varying inl ength from 29 to 35mm.

,with a breadth of 17mm . The young

snakes are brownish black above,with wel l-defined white annul iwhite beneath . The two Spec imens in my possession Show 24and 16annul i respectively, exclusive of the broad fasci a acrossthe head and the w hite tip t o the tail . They measure 230and260mm . in l ength . E ven a t thi s early age the vertebral row ofbroad hexagonal scale s i s wel l demarked . The parent snakeswere unfor tunately destroyed without any measurements beingtaken .

E . E RNE ST G RE E N .

NO T E S .

5. M i llip ede ki lled by R eduvi id bug.-Whil e watching a l arge

mill ipede craw l ing over my lawn I noticed an immaturespecimen (nymph) of the Reduvi id bug (Physorhynchus tinucc i ,S tal . ) fol lowing and manoeuvring about i t . S udden ly the bugclosed and fastened upon the hinder extremity of the mil l ipede,p lunging i ts probosci s into the intersegmental ti ssue on theventral surface betw een the l egs . The mil l ipede immediatelyw ri thed about apparently in great pain , but fai l ed to d islodgeits enemy . I t tried to crawl away , bu t rather more than half thebody and l imbs were paralyzed . After feeding fo r about aminute the bug l eft i ts v i ctim

,w hich I then picked up and

confined in a box, mean i ng to note how soon the paraly zingeffects wou l d pass Off. Tw el ve hours later the mil l ip ede , i nsteadof having recovered

,w as found to be qui te dead . The victim

measures 55} inches in length w i th a proporti onate thi ckness .The predatory bug was scarcely i of aninch long . The bite ofmany of the Reduviid bugs i s— as I have experi enced— extremelypainful ; but I was astoni shed to find i ts action S O fatal in thi scase . The poison evidentl y acted di rectly upon the ventralnerve cord .

Peraden iya, May , 1905. E . E RNE ST G RE E N .

6. Remedies adop ted aga ins t thePaddy Fly .— O ne of the great

est enemies of the paddy plan t (O ryz a sa tiva ) i s the so - ca l led ricesapper or paddy fly (L ep tocor isa va r icornis) cal l ed in the vernacul argoyan -messa .The common remedy adopted against thi s pest i s smoking the

fields by smother-burning vegetabl e refuse to windward . Thesuffocating effect of the dense smoke that i s thus rai sed i s sometimes intensified by adding to the burning mass such substancesas tar

,sulphu r

,tobacco . le af, and margosa O il (from Az adira chta

indica ) .

The paddy fly is be l i eved to obj ec t strongly to the odour ofresin

,and for thi s reason cul tivators often draw a rope saturated

in melted resin across the fiel d .

The flie s are sometimes captured by means Of bird- l ime,in the

fol l owing manner . A winnow smeared with the st icky latex ofthe j ak tree (Ar tocarpus integr ifolia ) i s fixed to the end of a poleand drawn over the tips of the plants . The fl ies as they are capturedare col lected in a pot strung to the wais t of the O perator and afterwards destroyed . T he process i s carried on in the early morningor late in the evening .

A method of decoy i s also employed thus . An earthenware

160 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

po t riddled wi th holes i s set up in the field with a burninglamp inside . The fli e s col l ect round the heated pot and arethu s destroyed .

But there are often extraordinary remedies (favoured by themore superstiti ous) carri ed out through the agen cy of the vi l lagesoo thsayer . O ne form of thi s i s w here the soothsayer, choosinghi s day and hour

,enters the field with some tender cocoanut

l eaves plaited into a rough mat or 01a,

”and supervi ses the e recti on

of a tiny booth or mal-messa on which a floral offer ing i s placed .

In thi s booth the soothsayer burns some camphor,while he

indulge s in a weird incantati on . The final act in thi s ceremonyconsists of the stretching of ropes from the mal -messa to var i ouspoints in the boundari es of the field .

The fol lowing i s another formof charming . The soothsaye r, asbefore choosing h is day and hour

,proceeds to the field clothed in

spotl ess white,erects a mal -messa on w hich he gets some ri ce

boi led in cocoanut mi lk (the expressed j ui ce of the kernel of thenot the l iquid contents of the cocoanut as general ly

understood,and then wi th a branch from the inflorescence O f

the areca palm proceed s to sprinkl e the liquid from the boi l ingpot over the field, muttering incantations the whi l e .A var i ation of this last consi st s i n spr inkl ing charmed w ater

from a new clay pot by means O f the twig of a l ime tree .

In some C athol i c v i l l ages it i s the custom to carry a few paddyfl ies to the nearest church , there to be anathematized , and let l ooseagain in the field to influence the colony of pests to qui t .For much of the informat ion i n thi s note I am indebted to Mr .

P . Samaranayaka, l ate Agricu l tu ral Instructor , now of the Veterinary Department .

C . DRIE BE RG .

Government S tock Garden ,

June 15, 1905.

7. T he L actea l T ra ct of L or is gra ci lis .— In Flower and

L ydekker’

s wel l -know n Introduction to the S tudy of Mammals(L ondon , 1891) i t i s pointed out that in the order Primates “ thereare alway s two mammae in the pectoral region

,except in Chi

r omys” p .

The long-tai l ed African l emu rs of the genus G a lago have fou rteats, namely, tw o pectoral and two inguinal p .

In the tai l l e ss O riental lemurs bel onging to the sub-fami lyL orisinae there are said to be two pectoral mammae only p .

C hiromys, the Aye-aye of Madagascar, has two inguinal mammaeonly p .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

162 SPO L IA ZE YL AN TOA

the mothers had four equal p endulous mammae placed cousecutively i n tw o pairs in the poster i or pectoral (below the last rib)and in the an ter ior abdominal regions, surrounded by a nearlyhai rless tract .E ach teat i s about a quarter O f an inch in l ength ; the anter i or

pair i s d istant abou t one inch and a quarter from the axi l laryregion the posterior pa i r i s abou t tw o and a half inches f rom theinguinal region .

The tetramerous arrangement of the teats in the L or is gr aci lisof C eylon is a constant character, and may be observed in youngfemale s as wel l as in females during lactat ion . The more primitive mammals O f the orders E dentata and S i renia, repre sented inC eyl on by the pangol in and the dugong respectively , have onlyone pair of teats in the axi l l ary regi on

,but th i s fact does not

mi l i tate against the idea that the four teats Of L or is may be aprimitive feature, at least w i thi n the l imi ts of i ts own order .Not on ly the organization but the strictly arboreal habits of the

L or is suggest that it i s a c reature of remote anti qu ity . . Whetherthe character of the lacteal tract affords a further indicati on of

thi s may be a matter of opini on , but the numerical data shoul d becorrectly given . The pl ural i ty of teats is remarkable al so on

account of the fact that the L or is, l ike bats and monkeys general ly ,on l y produces one young at a bi rth , which remains clamped tothe parent by i ts extraordinary prehen si l e l imbs unti l abl e to l ookafter i tsel f .

ARTHU R WIL L E Y .

C o l ombo , Ju ly , 1905.

H ELM I NTH ES FROM TH E CO LLECT I O N OFTH E CO LOMBOM USEU M .

By Dr . 0. VO N L INS T OW.

( G ottmgen. )

With three Plates .

H IS report on Parasitic Worms from C ey l on i s a con tinuationof my description ofNematode s in S polia Z eylanica ,vol . I . ,

part IV. There are al together in the second consignmen twhich was sen t to me fifty -one speci e s

,of w hi ch thi rty belong

to the Nematoda,one to the Acanthocephala, seven t o the

Trematoda,and thirteen to the C estoda of these

,thirty are

described as new,and three new genera of C estoda have had to be

establ ished .

The foll owing species are deal t with

N E M AT O DA .

A scaris sp iculigera ,R ud . ,

from P lota s melanoga ster .

A sca r i s fiss icolli s , n . sp . , from H a lia s tur indus .

A scar is corona ta , n . sp . , from Ardeola G rayi .

A scari s bra chychei los , n . sp . from T rop i donotu s a sp er‘

rimus .

Physa lop tera brevisp iculum,n . sp . ,

from F eli s rubiginosa .

S p irop tera secretor ia,n . sp . , from P lotus melanoga ster .

S p irop tera orca , n .ep . , from M ani s p entadactyla .

S p irop tera sangu inolenta , Rud . from C anis fami lia r i s .

S p irop tera , spec . from C i tta cincla ma crou ra .

S p irop tera , Sp ec . from P avo cri s ta tu s .

S p irop tera , Spec . from S ciuru s p a lmarum.

H eterakis p us i lla , n .sp . ,from G a llu s L afayetti .

H eterakis granulosa , n .sp . , from G a llu s ga llina ceus .

S trongylu s digi ta tu s , n . sp . , from B os tauru s .

K a licepha lu s w illeyi , V . L ins t . , from T yp hlop s braminus .

O xyuris mega loon , n . sp . , from H emi da ctylu s L eschenau lti i .

O xysoma fa lca tum, n .ep . , from N icoria trijuga .

D ispharagus ma crola imus , n .ep . , from P lotus melanogas ter .

S cleros tomum equ inum, M uller , from E quus caba llu s .

Ankylos tomumminimum, n . sp ., from F eli s rubiginosa .

Ankylos tomum tr igonocepha lum,R ud .

,from (Janis familiari s .

S yngamus tra chea lis , V . S ieb. , from G a llus ga llina ceus .

F i laria Z schokkei,M eyer , from M ani s p entada ctyla .

F i la ria immi tis ,L eidy , from C an is familiar i s .

164 SPO L IA Z E Y L AN IC A .

25. F i laria p iscicola , n .ep . , from M arine F ish .

26. F ila r ia equ ina , Abilg. , from E quu s caba llu s .

27. F i la ria digi ta ta , n . sp . , from B os indi cus .

2 8 . F i la r ia tuberosa , V . L ins t ., from M abu ia car ina ta .

2 9 . F i la ria flavescens , C as tellani andW illey ,from C a lotes versi color .

30. T ri chocepha lu s discolor , n . sp . , from B os i ndi cus .

T etradenos tiara , V . L ins tow C tenocepha lus tiara , V .

AC ANT H O C E PH A L A .

31. E chinorhynchus tener , n . sp . , from S p i lornis cheela .

TRE M A T O DA .

L yp erosomumsquama tum,n . sp . ,fromD is sura ep iscopus .

D is tomum, Spec . from P lotu s melanoga ster .

D is tomum hep a ticum, L . , from B os i ndi cus .

P a ramphi stomumca licophoron , F is ch . fromB os indicus .

P aramphi stomumgra cile, F is ch . , from B os indi cus .

G a strothylax crumeni/er , C rep l. , from B os buba lu s .

T ristomummega cotyle, n . sp . from H i s tiophoru s .

C E S T O D A .

H ymenolep is s ep tar ia ,n .ep .

,from U pup a ceylonens is .

H ymenolep is clausa , n . sp . fromDendrocygna javanica .

H ymenolep i s sp inosa ,n . sp .

,from R ostra tu la cap ens i s .

D ipyli dium caninum, L . ,from C anis fami lia ris .

T oenia , sp ec . from H a lia stur indus .

D iorchi s occlusa , n . sp .,from P hoeni cop terus roseus .

D ava inea p olyca lcar ia , n . sp . , from C orvu s ma crorhynchu s .

D ip lochetos volvu lu s , n .gen . et Sp . from L obip luvia ma laba ri ca .

O phryocotyle ceyloni ca , n . sp .,from L ophoceros ginga lens is .

B rochocepha lu s p aradoxus , n .gen . et Sp . fromAEgia li ti smongoli ca .

C i ttotcenia bursaria , n . sp . ,from L epu s nigr icolli s .

Ichthyotcenia cryp tobothr ium, n . sp ., from C hrysop elea orna ta .

Aphanobothrium ca tena tum, n .gen . et sp .,from Phaeni cop teru s

roseu s .

I .— NE MATODA .

A sca r is .

The definition given previously (S . Z . ,part IV . ,

p . 91) i s to beamended in so far that the i ntestinal coecum l ies dorsad of theoesophagu s the oesophageal gland i s produced backwards ventralto the intestine .

1.— A sca r is sp icu liyera ,

Rud .

From the oesophagus and stomach of the Darter,P lotu s

melanogaster , L . ; Wirawi la, S outhern Province .

2 .—Asca r is fi ssicollis

,n . Sp .

Pl . I . , figs . 1—2 .

From intestin e of the B rahminy Ki te , H a lia s tu r indus,B odd

Nedunken i , Northern Province .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

166 S PO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

5.— Physa lop tera brevisp i cu lum,

n . Sp .

P l . I . ,fig. 4.

From stomach ofFelis r ubiginosa , G eoffr Kand y .

C uticl e fine ly annu l ate ; head end w i th a thickened cu ticu larco l lar from w hich tw o round l i ps pro trude

,each O fw h i ch carries

three smal l peaks at the summit ; at the tai l end there i s a similar p raeputium- l ike cuti cular ring from w hich the tail emergesoesophagu sMale

,111 x °95

,w i th rounded tai l at each S ide of the

cloacal orifice four stalked pap i l lae ; behind these four pai redventral post- anal papi l lae

,unstal ked

,in success ive couples cirri

very short,feebly curved

,

°79

Female, 114 x 106 tai l c on i cal,

eggs th ick - shel l ed ,

036x‘031.

P . pr cep utia li s , v . L inet w hich occurs in Feli s ca tus in Brazi l ,has a simi lar caudal sheath w i th a body l ength of 21—30mm .

6.—Sp ir op ter a secr etor ia

,n . sp .

P1. I . , fig. 5.

From oesophagus and stomach of Plotus melanoga s ter , LWiraw i la in company w i th Asca r is sp icu liyera .

D imen sions up to 32 x 16,bu t al l spec imens immatu re both

ends strongly attenuated ; c uticl e annulate ; some are larvae inprocess O f exuviation . A t the head a dorsal ly placed obtu selyconica l papi l la ; in a ci rcle behind thi s are s ix round ish papi llae,and behind the se in the submedian l ine s four truncate papil laew i th a very smal l one at the inner side . A l ongside theoesophagus runs a long gland con tain ing a l ong granu l arse cretion often p roj ecting th rough the o rifice w hi ch li es closebehind the papil lae . Tai l short w i th smal l finger

- Shapedapp endix ; lateral l ines s t rongly develop ed, one-fifth of thed iameter of the body

,enclosing a l ateral canal .

7.— Sp irop tera or ca

,n .ep .

Pl . I . , figs . 6—8 .

From stomach ofM anis pentadacty la ,L . Horana .

C u ticl e annu l ate ; head w i th tw o l arge l i ps placed dorsal andven tral , expanded in front ; behind these i n the submedian l inesfour finger -shaped procumbent p rocesses .The mouth l eads into a vestibu l e

, 2 mm . l ong ; oesophagusin the male 3, in the femal e 33—5 ; coarse cu ti cular rings °053apart

,fine rings 0054mm . apart .

H E L M INT H E S : C O L O M B O M US E UM .

Male, 25 x °71 ; tai l invol ute ; cirri l ong ; the left c i rrusmeasured mm . in a young specimen of 118 mm.

,i .e. nearly

one- third of the body length ; the right cirru s i s broader andmuch shorter

,

°57mm . ; on each side there are four prae-analand tw o po st- anal papi l lae , l arge and round ta i l rounded ,Female

, 32 x°95; tai l rounded , vulva l i es behind the

middle div i ding the body in the ratio 7: 5; immature eggsell ip ti cal , °044 x °026 matu re

,flattened at the po l es , °047x 029

,

barrel - Shaped , surrounded in fron t and behind by a rai sed hoop .

8 .— Sp ir op ter a sangu inolenta , Rud .

From (esophagu s O f C anis fami lia r i s , L . ; C ol ombo .

Cf. A . Rai lliet, Traité de zoologi e médical e, Paris , 1895, pp .

536—538 , figs . 373—375.

9 .-Sp i rop tera , Spec .

From intestine of L ong- tail ed Robin, C i tta cincla ma cr oura ,

Gmel . ; Nedunkeni .O ne ent i re and one half Specimen spiral ly w ound

,not to

be identified .

10.—Sp i rop tera , Spec .

From oesophagu s O fPa vo cr is ta tus,L . B ut tuw a .

Three imperfectly preserved fragments .

11.—Sp ir op ter a ,

spec .

From peri toneum OfS ciur us p a lma r um,L C ol ombo .

Fragments of a femal e .

12 .- H eter akis p us i lla ,

n . Sp .

Pl . I .,fig. 9 .

From rectal coeca of Jungl e Fow l, G a llus L afayetti ; Mamadu ,

No rthern Province .

Head with smal l roundi sh lips ; cuticl e smooth , Oesophagusthickened, cl ub - shaped behind

,in the male 3, i n the femaie ‘

gl

rg.

Male, 5x tai l 112 , finely po inted , adhering to the ventralS ide by a granular, opaque cement ; cirri very unequal , thel eft 053, the r ight in fron t of the cloacal orifice a roundsucke r, and behind this , O n each si de

,four large post- anal

papillae, of which the last l i e s at a greater di stance from thethi rd than the three anteri or from each o ther .Female, x tail 935, very l ong and pointed ; vulva

far behind the mi ddle , the pres -geni tal region to the post-gen i talregion as 12 5 eggs, thick- shel led

,0065 x 0031.

168 S PO L IA Z E YL AN IC A .

l3.— H etera /cis gra nu losa , n . sp .

Pl. I I I . , fig. 49 .

In testine of domestic fowl, G a llus ga tlina ceus , L C olombo .

C uti c l e annulate head w ith three low semi -ci rcul ar l ips tai lpoin ted .

Male,27 x oesophagus 1

13 ; tai l £9 ; the tw o straight

rod - shaped ci rri,

suck er l ong,oval

,w i th a smal l c ircular

groove behind , and surrounded by granulations on each S idethree prae- anal and S ix post -anal pap il lae, of w hich the mostanterior is transversely e l l ipti cal

, the fourth , seventh, and ninthspheri cal and marginal radial muscl es pass to the sucker .Female

,55 x oesophagus T

1?“ tai l £3 ; vaginal orifice

immediately in front of the middle d iv i ding the body inthe proporti on 16 17 eggs thick -shel l ed,0078 x

14.— S trongy lus digi ta tus, n . sp .

PI. I .

,fig. 10.

S tomach of B os indicus C olombo .

C uti cl e withou t longitudinal l ines, but w i th very fine annulati on ; head attenuate , mouth surrounded by four papi l lae ;oesophagu s of male T IT ,

of female T 17~ the nerve r ing surrounds thesophagus at the limi t of the first and second quarters andbelOw i t the p orus excretor ius opens .Male

,24 x cirr i very long, coal escent throughout

their enti re l ength and thickened fusiform at the end ; thelateral l obe s of the bursa are curved cl aw - l ike inwardl y ; eachl obe i s supported by S ix ribs, of which one l ies at the innermargin

,two S ide by side at the hinder borde r, and three in

a group at the ou ter margin there i s no median lobe the end ofthe body i s rounded with a pair of finger-shaped , sl ightly curvedhyal ine cuti cul ar l obes .Female

,29 x gen i tal orifice li e s far back dividing the

body in the rat io 8 1 tai l pointed , fi g ; eggs 0097x 0053.

E l even Species of S tr ongylus have been found in B os

taurus ,the E uropean domestic ox ten Of them have short cirr i ;

only S tr ongy lu s filicollis , Rud has l ong cirri , but in thi s Speciesthe cuticl e shows 18 l ongi tudinal ridges .

15.— K a licep ha lus wi lleyi ,v . L inst .

Rectum of T yphlop s braminus , Russel l C olombo .Of. 0.

v. L instow, Sp ol. Zeyl. , vol . I. , par t IV . ,

1904, pp . 99—100

pl . I. ,figs . 14—18 .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

170 S PO L I A Z E YL AN IC A .

oesophagus very long, 271

6 tai l 317, terminating in a Smal l fingershaped poin t ; the nuchal pl eats run mm . backwards

,rather

beyond the first secti on o f the oesophagus ; immediately beforetheir termination there i s on each s ide a cone - shaped nuchalpapi ll a ; eggs ve ry numerous . w i th a double Shel l ,0031 x

S cleros tomum.

Head wi th buccal orifice se t w i th one or several row s of teethmale w i th two equal c irri and tri lobate costiferous bursa femal egen i tal o rifice posterior ; SecernenteS -Meromyaria in mammal sand birds .

19 .-S clerostomum equinum,

Mu l l er .Intestine of horse C olombo .

Cf. A . L ooss ,The S cleros tomidae,Records E gyptian Gove rnmen tS chool of Medicine

,1901

, pp . 76—77, pl . I . ,figs . 1—5.

Anhylos tomum.

Head with chi tinou s buccal capsule,bent and open tow ards the

dorsal S ide o ften w i th teeth in i ts fundus mal e wi th tri lobatebur sa and two equa l cir r i , bursal lobes supported by ribs ;female gen i tal orifi ce behind the middle SecernenteS -Meromyaria in the inte stine of mammal s .

20.—Anby lostomumminimum,

n .ep .

Pl. I .,figs . 11—12 .

S tomach of Feli s r ubiginosa ,G eoffr . ; Kandy .

C uticl e thi ck and annul ate ; buccal capsul e dorsal ly incl inedwith four ventral l ongitudinal ribs ” and a too th at the bottom .

Male,

x oesophagus z} ; ci rri brow n and very short ,lateral lobes of bursa rounded, supported by six ribs, of

w hich the two anterio r lie cl ose together , the third , fou rth , andfifth form a group , and the S ixth l ies i so l ated .

Female,

x 020 oesophagus gt

gtai l gen i tal o rgan s

almost confined to hinder half ofbody gen ita l o rifice posterio r,

dividing the body as 31 12 eggs not numerou s,0088 x 0053;

one branch of the u te ru s run s fo rwards, the o ther backw ards .

2 1—Anlcylos tomum tr igonocep ha lum,Rud .

Intestine of dog ; C olombo .

Cf. A . Railliet Traité de Zoologi e Médicale, Pari s , 1895, pp .

470—473, figs . 327—330.

H E L M IN T H E S : C O L O M B O M US E UM .

S yngamu s .

Mouth w i th a chi tinou s capsu l e,the w all ofw hich is enl arged

di sc - l ike in fron t male smal l w i th a bur sa and tw o equal ci rrifemale o rifice an terior mal e and female in p ermanen t Cop u laS ecernentes -Meromyaria ; in the trachea, bronchi , and nose of

bi rd s and mamma l s .

22 .— S yn.gamus tr a chea lis , v . S ieb .

Trachea Of domestic fowl C olombo .

Of. A. Ra illiet, op . ci t.,pp . 453—455, fig . 312 , al so Neumann ’

s

Parasi tes of Domesticated An imal s , p . 607, fig . 318 .

23.— F i la r ia Z schokkci

,Meyer .

Peritoneum ofAdams p enta da ctyla ,L .

Cf. Meyer, Archiv f . Naturgesch . Jahrg. . 61,Berl in

,1896, pp .

56—69 , Taf . IV . ,figs . 1—9 . S exually immatu re .

24.-F i la r ia immi tis , L e idy .

Pleu ral cavi tv O f dog ; Ragama .

Cf. A . Railliet, op . ci t . , pp . 509 - 513, figs . 354—356.

25.—F i la r ia p iscicola , n . Sp .

From supraorbital region of a marine fish L ethr inus,

O ne incompl ete female, 225 x the d iameter at the headi s the head i s rounded , desti tute of l ips , teeth, and pap i llaethe tai l i s l ost from the specimen geni tal orifice qui te anter io r

,

on ly from cephal ic extremity ; eggs x i t i s ovov iviparous the embryos w i th acuminate tai l measure x0016.

Fil ariae are very rare in fishes , and it i s therefore to be regrettedthat only an imperfect description of th i s Species can be given .

26.-F i la r ia equ ina Abildg.

From eye of horse .Cf. A . Rai lliet, Op . cit , pp . 524- 526, figs . 364—366.

27.— Fi la r ia digi ta ta ,

n . sp .

Pl. III.

,figs . 52—55.

Per itoneum'

ofB os indicus C olombo .

Head w i th two straight teeth notched at the summi t, thereafterfour papillae in the submedian l ines ; cu ticle finely annu late ; along vestibu l e ( in the femal e leads into the oesophagu s, 32 A 8 (17)O5

172 S PO L I A ZE YL AN IC A .

in the male, g, i n the female ; tai l rounded , carrying in the

femal e a spherical appendix ; in the mal e the tai l i s coi l ed ina c l ose spiral

,in the femal e a l oose spi ral ; in the mal e fi

lm ;

in the female g ; in both sexes in front of the extremi ty on eachside a finger - shaped appendage ,0044 long in male , in femal e .Male

, x 035; the cu rved cirri and 0065respectivelyfou r prae - anal* and four post- anal “ elongated pap illae ; in frontof the former on each side about 140smal l rod - shaped, c lose-setpapil lae reaching forw ards mm . from the tai l end .

Femal e, geni tal orifice anterior d ivid ing the bodyas 1 71 ; eggs 0039 x 0026.

28 .— F i la r ia tuberosa ,

n .ap .

F i la r ia rWansom’

,C astel lan i and Wi l l ey, Sp ol. Zeyl. , vo l . I I . ,

1904, pp . 79—80, pl . VI . , figs . 1—6.

In the peri toneum of M abu ia ca r/M a ta

,S chne id the B rahminy

L i zard C olombo . L ar vae in the blood .

O n ly tw o females in the col l ection , of w hich the larger measures34 x tai l attenuate

,ending w i th a hemispher ical di latation

,

in front of which there i s a pap ill a on each side ; anus absenthead rounded w ithout teeth and papi l lae oesophagus very shortgeni tal orifice from head end ; thin - shel led eggs0018 x

0013; ovov iviparous .The original name of the speci e s must be al tered because

C obbold named one F . M ansoni , from the orbi t of G a llus

ga llina ceus in 1880.

29 .— F i lam

’

a fla vescens , C astel l an i and Wil l ey .

From C a lotes vers icolm"

,Dum. et Bibr C olombo .

C’

f. C aste l l an i and Wil ley , impm'

m.

Head rounded w i thout tee th and lip s ; body attenuate androunded behind anu s absent ; oesophagu s very short, { 7 in male ,y‘g in female . Mal e

,19 x tail, T h , w i th five very smal l

post-anal papi l lae c irri , coni cal w i th very broad base.

Female,56 x genital orifice from head end ; eggs

0021 x 0016; ovoviviparou s .

T r ichocep ha lus .

Body strongly attenuate , oesophagus cel lu lar,hind body

thickened,anus terminal . Male wi th one spiculum ; female

genital o rifice at the end of the (B SO phagus at the l imit between the

T hese pap illae are always paired unless otherwise given.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

174 S PO L I A Z E YL AN IC A .

ho oks ; ro stel lum hooks in forty-five transverse rings w ith tw entyhook s in each ring ; hooks of the twelve an terio r rings ,0042 ,w i th a long roo t

,those of the thir ty- three posterio r rings

,0°02 l

,

thorn - l ike w i thou t roo t .Male , 39 x the group of geni tal organs extends forw ardsmm from the thi ckened tai l end .

Fema le,72 x p lacen tu lae ovate, x 097; eggs w i th

double shel l,the outer shel l show ing w avy l ongitudinal nnes ,

0053x tai l end after copu l ation carrie s a l ayer of cementsubstance .

I I I .-TRE MATO DA .

L yp erosomum.

D istomids with long intes tinal rami testes behind one anoth erand behind them l i es the ovary ; vi te l larium on each side lateral lybehind the ventral sucker ; geni tal orifice in front of l atter .

32 .—L yp orosomum squama tum,

n . sp .

Pl . I .

,fig. 18 .

CE s0phagus of the Whi te -necked S tork,D issura cp z

'

soop us

Gou l d ; Palatupana .

L ength breadth O ral sucker ventra l suckeri ts middle po int ly ing at the limi t of the second and thi rd

fifths of the body ; the c uticle of the ventral surface alone closelybeset w ith scal e s ; cuti cl e everywhere very thick ; the thi ckness ofthe body i s to the width as l 2 ; the oesophagus d ivides after ashort course into tw o intestinal dive rticul a

,the ep i thel ium of

w hich is strongly developed they extend to the hinde r end ; thegeni tal o rifice l ie s immediately in front of the anterior margin ofthe ventral sucker ; behind thi s the tw o testes fol lo w one behindthe other and, behind the last testis, the smal l ovary w i th theshel l -gland ; the vi te l laria occur as tw o tracts behind the ventralsucke r occupy ing about é of the body length ; the co i l s of theu teru s l i e in the posterior hal f ofthe body ; the eggs are sma l l andnumerous

,narrow and elongate , 0083 x 0036; they present a

large doubl e black spot w hich corresponds with the two oce l l iof the embryo ; the c i rru s sac i s small , desti tu te of a cirrus .

33. sp ec .( E sophagus of the Darter, P lotus melanoga s tor , L in . ; Wirawi la .

O nly one opaque specimen w hich could not be determinedw i thou t secti ons , thus des troy ing i t ; moreover a single individual w ou ld not have sufficed for the investigation . The genuscould therefo re not be asce rtained since the o ld genu s D is tomumhas been broken up into more than 80genera .

H E L M IN T H E S : C O L O M B O M US E UM .

34.—D is tomum hep a tica /n,

L in .

L iver of B os indioa s , [S cinde C ow ] C olombo .

Of. A . Rai lliet, Traité de Zoologi e médicale , Paris , 1895, pp .

342—356, figs . 219—235.

The generi c name Distomum i s here adopted instead of

Fa sciola ,w hich w a s establ i shed by L innaeu s in 1746 for

D is tomum lwp a ti ow n,D ondr ocoolum la cteum,

and S ohis tooep ha lu ssolidus

,these being taken to be one and the same species .

F a sciola ,L .

,i s the refore a scientific impos s ibi l i ty , in capable of

being d iagnosed . The defin i t ion of D is tomum,s . str . , i s as

fol l owsThe two in testinal rami richly branched tow ards the ou ts i de

ventral sucker lying w el l forw ards w i th the p oru s geni ta lia infron t o f i t

,the u terus and branched ovary behind ; farther

back the much- branched te s ti s and the vi te l larium at themargin of the body parasi ti c in the l iver of mammals .

Pa ramp hi stomum.

A smal l sucker in front,a large sucker behind ; intestinal

rami l ong ; tw o testes ly ing obl i que ly one behind the o the r,

lobate,w ithou t ci rru s sac ; p orus geni ta lia in fron t in the

median ventral l ine w i th the ductus ej a cu la tor ius and theuterus opening into i t ; ovary and shel l -gland behind the lasttesti s ; v i tel laria l ateral c lose beneath the su rface of the body ;parasitic in the stomach and bi l e passages of ruminan ts .

35.-P a r amp his tomum ca lioop li or

'

am, Fisch .

S tomach of B 03 i ridiou s ; C olombo .

Cf. F . Fischoeder , D ie Paramph i stomiden der S augeth i ere,Zool . , Jahrb. S yst . XVII . , Jena, 1903, pp . 541—546.

36. —Pa r a7) ip his tomumgra ci le, Fi sch .

S tomach of C eylon black cattle (B os iridious) .Cf. Fischoeder , op . ci t . . pp .

G a strothy la a'

.

Amph istomids w i th ventral pouch w hich commences as atransverse groove shortl y behind the mouth genita l po re insidethe ventral pouch, male and female gen ital ia immediatel y infront of the caudal sucker .

37.

— G a strotlzy lax cr umen ifer , C repl .

S tomach of B os buba lus , the country-bred buffalo of C eylon .

Cf. Fischoeder , op . ci t. , pp . 557-563.

176 S PO L I A Z E YL AN IC A .

T r is tomum.

Body ovate or ci rcu l ar, flat , w i th tw o round suckers in fron t anda l arge, disc - shaped po sterior sucker w i th seven rays and smal lrods ; cerebral commissure w i th fou r ocel l i ; geni tal orifices andvagina in front on the l eft ventral si de ; testes numerous ; ectoparasi tic on the gi l l s and su rface of the body of marine fishes .

38 .— T r i s tommn mega coty le, n.sp .

Pl . I . , figs . 19—20.

From the surface of the body of a sw ord fish,H istiophoru s , sp

Beruw ala,February 5

,1904.

L ength 75, breadth 6mm ventral cutic l e,except on the

suckers and head , th icklv beset w i th c i rcu l ar papi l lae, measu ringmm .

The tw o anterior suckers are equal to 11; of the body l ength ;

the caudal sucker has a diameter equal to gthe body l ength . andshow s seven radial ribs (pl . 1, fig . 19) which abut upon a centralroundish area produced backw ards ; the sucker is bounded at theperiphery by a striated borde r ; i n the poster ior region of the suckerthere are tw o straight undivided rods attenuated at the ends

,

mm . l ong these rods are alw ays described as hooks in the definition of the genus T r is tomum

,but they do not de serve thi s name

s ince they do not serve for attachment,but

,on the contrary, for

releasing the sucker from i ts adhesion,assuming a verti cal posi

tion by the act ion of special muscl es for this purpose .A similar, though much l arger species, al so l iv ing upon H is tio

phor a s , i s T r istomumlame,Verri ll= T r . ova te, Goto ; the l ength ofthi s species amoun ts to 13mm . and its breadth 12 mm thediameter of the anterior suckers equal s of the body length ; therays of the caudal sucker are narrow , i ts margin i s un striated ,and the rods are expanded and i rregularly l aciniate at theroots.Cf. S . Goto , S tudies on the E ctoparasitic Trematode s of Japan .

Journ . 0011. S ci ence, Japan , VII I . , part 1, Tokyo , 1894, pp .

241- 244.

IV .— C E STO DA .

H ymenolep is .

T aeni ids with armed scolex ; proglotti ds generally broader thanl ong ; geni tal or ifices marginal and uni l ateral in each segmentthree testes the mature uterus completely fi l l s the proglottidsparasi ti c i n mammals and birds .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

178 s p oL IA ZE Y L AN IC A .

c irrus - sac (bu rsa ) and vagina merge into one another direct lythree teste s l i e dorsal ly and pos teriorly in each segment

,the

central on e somew hat backw ards : cirru s - sac very large, aboutif O f the c ross -diameter of the body

,contain ing a very l ong cirrus ,

a un ifo rmly thin chitinou s tube co iled several t imes the orificeof the ci rru s -sac w here i t pa sses into the vagina i s close ly bese tw i th smal l equal hooks . The ovary l ie s unsymmetrical ly ventradof the vagina and cirrus - sac

,a racemose body

,in the centre of each

fo l l i cle a bl ack granu l ar nucleus v i tel larium ventral,median

,

transversely e longate , in front of i t the round shel l gland no eggsdeveloped .

I agree w i th Wolifhugel in the O pin ion that the absence ofgen i tal pores i s no t of sy stematic impo rtance

,and therefore the

species i s as signed to H ymenolep is .

41.— H z/meri olep is sp inosa ,

n . sp .

Pl . II.,figs . 24—25.

Intestine of the Painted S n ip e , R ostr a tu la cap eri sis , L ID

Vavun iya .

L ength 15mm . , anterior proglottids broad x 0044 l ong ;hindmost progl ott ids greatly expanded at the hinder margin

,

broad long al l are therefo re broader than l ong .

S col ex thickened tow ards the fore -body with breadth ofthe foremost port ion of the chain being broad .

The roste l lum carri es ten hooks 0028 l ong ; the hooks aresl ender and have a long root and smal l hook and l ever gen i talo r ifices marginal and un i l ateral , approximately at the end ofthe firs t quar ter of e ach member of the chain . The c i rri areremarkably large

,l ong

,broad at the base

,close l y spi

nose . The broad corti cal l ayer occupies on each side i of thedorsoventral di ameter ; a l ay er of transverse muscles occurs ati t s inner side and inside these numerous smal l g roups of longitud inalmuscle - bundle s , i nside these again eight stronger bundl esof l ongitud inal mu scl e s ; on each side a large ven tral and asmall er dorsal vessel

,ectad o f these , the nerve .

The l arge ci rrus - sac o ccupies nearly 3of the transverse diameter ; do rsad in the middl e of the p roglottis, three l arge te stes,one in fron t bes ide the c irrus - sac

,the tw o others s ide by side

farthe r back . The co i l ed vagina l ie s below the cirrus- sac andexpands to fo rm a smal l r ecep ta cu lum seminis w hich does notreach to the middle l ine ; the o vary l ie s in the midd l e third ofthe tran svers e diamete r

,behind i t the vi tel larium

,a transverse

s t rand of abou t the cross -diameter ; the ovate shel l -gland

H E L M INT H E S C O L O M B O M US E UM . 179

occurs in the middle between the second and third testes . T h e

eggs have a tripl e membrane,the outer irregu lar

, 0047; theoncosphere i s 0026long x 0018 broad .

D ipglidium.

Rostel lum with several c irclets of rosethorn- shaped hooksgenital pores marginal and bi latera l ; geni tal organs in each proglottid dupl i cated teste s numerous parasi ti c in mammals .

42 .—D ip ylidiumcaninum

, L in .

Intestine of C ams fami lia r i s ; C olombo .

Of. A . Railliet, op . ci t. , pp . 284- 290.

43.— T oenia , spec .

Intestine of H a liastur indus, Boad . ; Nedunkeni .Defective fragments w i thout scol ex, indeterminable .

Diorohis .

S colex with simpl e crown of hooks i n each member twotestes geni tal pores marginal and un i lateral the mature u terusfi l l s the proglottids completely parasiti c in birds .

44.—D iorchis occlusa ,

n .sp .

Pl . IL ,figs . 26—27.

Intestine of the Flamingo ,Phcenicop terus roseus,Pal l -Weligatta.

L ength 75mm . ; the body i s thick, ovate in cross section, thedorsoven tral di ameter i s to the transverse as 7 9 formation ofproglottids commences at once behind the scolex anter iorprogl ottids broad x 0018 long, poster i or broad x

l ong,the breadth alw ay s exceeding the l ength and the contours

serrate .

The scol ex,

broad, i s triangular in profi l e the roste l lumis in some cases retracted , in others protracted , appearing shortand broad i t carr ies eight hooks

,0°14mm . l ong the root-branch

i s shorter than the hook, in the proportion 25 29 at the basethere is a smal l finger-shaped prol ongation , and the concavi tythus p roduced articulates with a roundish body

,eight of which

occu r in a circl e at the summit of the rostel lum .

G en ital pores absent male and female ducts fuse together on thesame side i n al l segments at a di stance of from the marginradial bundl es of l ongi tudinal muscle s occu r not far from thecutic le calcareous bodies are present in smal l quanti ty on each2 B

180 S PO L IA Z E Y L ANIC A .

s ide a large ventral and smal l dorsal vessel , the latter stronglyand regularly sinuate

,outside these the usual nerve, round in

section .

A l ong thin convoluted chitinou s c irrus l ies in the cirrus- sac,the duct i s finely sp inulose, and a semina l vesicl e l eads into thecirrus -sac two smal l oval testes , l ie dorsal ly .

The w ide vagina i s ventral to the cirrus- sac ; i t i s finelyspinulose internal l y and presents a forcipate apparatus ; it l eadsinto a recep ta cu lum semim

’

s reaching to the middl e l ine ; thefusiform dilatati on of the vagina i s 0042 wide . The ovary l iesventral ly in the middl e third and consi sts o f separate aggregatesthe horseshoe - shaped vi tel larium l ie s near the dorsal sid e and

dorsad of i t,the shel l -gland .

E ggs not presen t .

Dava inea .

S col ex with hundreds of very smal l, general ly hammer-shapedhooks in two circl es ; suckers general ly beset with hooks at themargin ; gen i tal pores uni l ateral or i rregul arly al ternating ;numerou s testes ; eggs in capsul es ; parasi ti c in mammal s andbirds .

45.—Dava inea polyca loa r ia ,

n .sp .

Pl . I I . , figs . 2 8—2 9 .

Intestine of C orvus ma crorhynchus , Tem . C olombo .

L ength 65mm . ; in front the p roglottids measure long xbroad

,in the middl e behind x they

become at the end slightly narrow er and l onger . but alw aysbroader than l ong ; the scol ex i s bu tton- shaped and very short

,

broad by0088 l ong the suckers,0°10, carry several hundredsof smal l hooks at the margin the l ikewise very numerous hooksof the rostel lum are closely packed in circlets

,they are pointed

and measure A tran sverse mu scular layer marks off thebroad cort ical zone from the medul lary layer ectad of the transverse muscles are numerou s longitudinal musc les which do notform bundles calcareou s corpuscles are cl osely packed throughout the body tw o large vessels run

T9

326of cross -d iameter distant

from margin and are connected by a tran sverse rama s communioans in the poste rio r part of the segmen t ; clo se beside themoutside i s the nerve . The py riform cirru s - sac occupies fr of thecross-diameter ; numerous testes occur in the medul l ary substance ; th ey are oval , abou t by 0026 female organs notyet devel oped .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

182 S PO L IA Z E Y L AN IC A .

Op hryocoty le.

S col ex w i tho ut ros tel lum , w i th five depressi ons, the margins ofw hich are bese t with numerou s smal l hooks ; the margin s of thesuckers are al so armed with numerous smal l hooks genital poresmarginal

,irregularly al ternating or bi lateral parasi ti c in birds .

47.— 0p hryocolyle z eylanica ,n . sp .

Pl . I I . , figs . 32—34.

Inte stine of the C ey l onese Hornbi l l , L op hoceros ginr/a lens is ,Shaw ; Nedunkeni , Northern Province .

L ength 55; anterior progl otti d s 0035 long x 0097 broad ,poster io r long x broad . S colex,

long x

broad,club - shaped

,the so -call ed neck behind i t , strongly

attenuate,

broad ; no rostel l um ; the suckers occu rl aterally behind the middle of the sco l ex ; the inner ringencl osing the lumen i s beset w i th very numerou s hooks at theapex two paral l el Ioops forming five finger

- shaped rays w hosemargins are beset w ith ve ry numerou s smal l thorn- l ike hookswi thout root and lever

,measuring 00053.

The cortical zone i s very wide and separated from th emedul l ary zone by a transverse mu scular layer, outside of whichare regularly placed large bundles of l ongitudinal mu scle s andfarther ou tside numerous , irregu l arly grouped , smal ler bundl estwo large vessels run ven tral in the medull ary l ayer fo rming aposterior anastomosis i n each segment the nerve occurs near thetransverse muscl es . In the l ayer be tw een the subcuticular cel l sand the outer longitudinal muscl es l i e calcareou s bodie s . Genitalpores marginal bilateral at the anterior lateral margin of the segment cirr i p ro truded, l ong and0035broad at the base , theyare finely Spinulose ; cirrus- sac carrie s outw ard ly l ongi tudinalmuscle s, thereunder c ircular muscl es ; i t occupies almost 2} ofthe cross -diameter numerous testes l i e in the medul l ary substance

,

about tw elve appear ing in a transverse sect ion ; the va s deferensi s coi led and l eads into a s igmoid seminal vesicle w hich has anarrow l umen and a very thick hyal ine wal l .The vagina cou rses ventral from the cirrus- sac and the

r ecep ta cu lum seminis reaches almost to the middle of thesegment the ovary consi sts of large i solated cel l s and occupies alarge p lace in the medul lary substance

,not forming a closed

body the vi tellar ium abuts ventral ly upon the transverse muscl esand i s a roundish body of

T1? the size of the cross -diameter the

eggs are 0036by 0029 .

The genus O p Ii i y oootylo hi therto comprised three speciesO . p rotons, Fri i s from T r inga , C a llidri s , C /ia radr ius .

and

H E L M INT H E S : C O L O M B O M US E UM .

L a rus ; 0. L a oa z ei , Vil lot from L imosa and 0. ins ignia,

L onnberg f rom H cema top a s and M ergns .

Fri is and Vil lot describe at the apex of the scol ex five distinctsuckers in a row armed w i th hooks, w hereas L onnberg speaks ofundulating Ioops in 0. p r otea s and 0. i ns ignis the gen ital p ore salternate i rregular ly the s imilari ty in the fo rmation of thescol ex se emed to require that the

_

species here de scribed shou l dbe p laced in the genus Op hrgooo

-

tgle.

B rochooepha la s, n .gen .

S colex w i th long roste l l um w i th six backw ardly di rec ted l oop sof hooks geni tal po res marginal , regu larl y alternating cirrilarge

,strongly and closely sp inu l ose no r e'

cep ta cu lumsemini sthree te stes in each segment segmen ts (proglottids) broader thanlong eggs tw o - shel l ed

,the inner shel l narrow ed at the pol es

.

48 .— B r oohooep ha la s p a r adoxa s , n . sp .

Pl . II .,figs . 36and 38 ; PI. III .

,figs . 35and 37.

Duodenum of the L esser Sand Pl over, z E gia li tis mongolica ,

Pal l Weligatta .L ength 85mm . w i thout “ neck anterior proglottids 0062

broad x 00088 l ong, po s terior broad x l ong,alway s

much shorter than wide scol ex w i th fou r suckers and longprotruded knobbed rostel l um, l ong x 0062 broad in fron tat the apex s ix backward ly directed tracts of thi rteen hooks each

,

i .a. , seventy - eight hooks in al l the hooks are slender w i th verysmall hook and l ever , measuring 0029 .

T wo l ayers of l ongi tudinal mu scle - bundles are seen in crosssect ion under the cuticl e on each s id e tw o ve sse l s

,the larger

forming a poster ior anastomosis in each segment the nerve runsnear the margin . Gen i tal pores marginal and almost regularlyalternating , rarely tw o fol l ow on the same side no cal careous deposits . C irri very large , broad and spinu l ose, as long as hal f thecross -diameter of the proglottid ; the large muscular ci rrus - saci s expanded outw ardl y and occupies about gofthe cross -diameterthree smal l ovate testes in the middle l ine

,one in fron t

,the

others symmetrical behind i t ; behind the testes a t ransversevi tel larium occupy ing g of the cross-diameter ; the ovary surrounds the testes in the middle third ; vagina and cirrus- sacl i e be tw een the tw o vessels ; the eggs are e l l ip tical and twoshe l led ; outer membrane 0081 x 0047, oncosphere sphericalthe inner thick shel l i s narrowed at the pole s

.

The genus G grocoelia shows a zigzag l ine, i nte rrupted at eightpoints, w i th forty hooks on the rostel lum ; four t est es i n eachsegmen t, and the spherical eggs have two appendices .

181 sr omix ZE YL AN IC A .

C i ttotoenia .

Bo th the gen i tal o rgans and thei r ducts a re dupl i cated in eachsegmen t progl o ttids broader than long scolex unarmed u teru stran sverse ; eggs w ith py r i form apparatu s parasiti c in rodents

.

49 .— O i ttotoenia bur sa r ia , n . sp .

PI. II . ,figs . 39 40.

Intestine of L epns n igr ioollis , C uv Nedunkeni .NO complete examples w ere presen t in the col le ction

,the

largest fragments measu ring 55 mm . in l ength . The body i sbroad , rounded in front no neck anteri or segments longx 5 broad , p oster ior long x 7broad . The sco lex i s no tprotruding the four suckers measure in diameter rostel lumabsent . In the parenchyme, tw o l ayers of l ongitudinalmuscl es , t ransve rse muscles and many dorsoventral mu scl es ;on each side tw o l ong i tudinal vessel s

,ventral larger

,dorsal

smal le r outside thes e , the nerve no cal careou s bodies . In eachsegment there are tw o groups of geni tal organ s

,each occupying

g. of the cross -diameter and hav ing thei r seve ral ducts The c irrip rot rude behind the middle of the margin of the proglot t id theymeasure l ong x 0035broad at the base the cirrus - sacs areshort and c lub - shap ed ; entad of them l ies a fusi form bur sa

ej a cu la tor ia provi ded wi th longitudinal and circu lar mu scles ;entad of this a fus i form semina l vesi cle and stil l fu rther inwardsa convo luted va s deferens ; the very numerous spherical te ste s,00“ diameter , are d i stributed thro ugh the entire proglottid sw i thou t fo rming tw o l ateral gro ups . T he vagina i s broad ,

w i thh igh endothe lium ,

expanding to a large r erep /a on lnm seminis it

runs ven trad O f the cirrus - sac ; en tad of the receptaculum andventral in positi on l i e s the round i sh ovary surrounding thevi tel larium.

The uterus traverse s the proglottid from right to l eft and hasroundish protuberances in fron t and behind eggs round ,0078 ,w i th tripl e membrane the inner membrane forms the sO - cal ledpyriform apparatus the spherical oncosphere measu res

Ichthyolaenia

S col ex unarmed w i th four suckers, and often a fifth ap icalsucker ; geni tal pores marginal . i rregu larly al te rnating, testesnumerous ; the vagina forms coi l s at the posterior margin of theproglotti ds in the mi ddle , w hich repl ace a recep ta cu lum seminis

parasi tic in fishes and repti les .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

186 sp oL IA Z E YL ANIC A .

51.— Aphanoboth ;

"lum ca tena tnm, n .sp .

Pl. II., figs . 43and 46 Pl . I I I . , figs . 44, 45, and 47.

Duodenum of the Flamingo , Phoenicop ter as r oseus , Pall . ; Weligatta .L ength up to 135mm . ; bread th 9—10mm . ; body attenuated infront

,truncate behind and very thick the dorsoventral diameter

i s to the cross-diameter as 9 20; an terior end rounded and retractedi n the middle and confined by arching cross l ines ; scol ex notvi sibl e external ly ; progl ottid s sharply del imited , at firs tthen behind long . The middle

12;of the body w idth are

,

dorsal l y and ventral ly , occupied by five l ongitudinal rows of flatdel l s which are al so di sposed in transve rse rows ; posteri or lythese deepen into smal l grooves the cortical layer i s to themedu l l ary substance dorsoventra l as 2 : 5; in the ti ssue occu roval ca lcareous bod ies measuring on the average 0018 x 0012 .

U nder the cuti cl e are c i rcular and l ongitudinal muscles ; a strongtransverse muscu l ar layer d ivi des the cortex from the medul larysubstance in the cortex run radi al bundles of longitudinalmuscl es ; on each side tw o vesse ls r un close together, dorsal asmal ler thick-wall ed vesse l

,ventral a larger thi n-wal led ; the

latter forms in each proglottid a strongly sinuou s crossanastomosi s the longitud inal nerve - trunk runs close outside thevessel s .The scolex i s retracti l e ; in transverse sections to mm .

from the frontal point are found four suckers of d iameter,and a fifth in the middle these are circular and O pen outwardsthrough a dorsoventral sl i t . The ci rrus

,x 0079 (012 broad

at the base) , i s regular ly bese t with hooks l ike the rostel lum of ant inorhynchus , arranged in transverse ri ngs of sixteen each i tprotrudes from a hemispherical protuberance the c irrus - sacoccupi es 7} of the cross -diameter ; the numerous round testes of

d iameter l i e in the medullary substance approximated to thetransverse muscles .The vagina runs dorsad of the ci rru s - sac both l ie betw een the

vessel s . The ovary consi sts of strands extending from the dorsalto the ventral s ide and then bending inwards w here they uni te ina short transve rse b ranch ; dorsad of thi s l i e s the radiate shel lgl and

,and do rsad of the latter the smal l vi te l lar ium con si sting of

nodu l ar strands ; the ova rian cel ls are 0013 large, those of thevi tel lar ium 00052 on ly the efi erent duct of the uterus wasdeveloped

,perforating the transver se muscle s ventral in the

middle l ine eggs not yet present.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

H E L M INT H E S : C O L O MB O M US E UM .

E KP L ANA T I O N O F P L A T E S

I llustra tingD r . von L instow’

s P ap er on H elminlhes of Ceylon.

g. vessel n . nerve c . ci rrus- sac vd. vas deferens h. testi sv. vagina ; r s . r ecep ta cu lum semini s ir. ovary ; cl. vi tel larium ;

u . uterus ; 8 . male seminal vesicle ; sch . shel l -gland ; schl. haustorium.

PL AT E I .Fig . 1.

-Ascar isfi ssicollis . Dorsal l ip .

Fig . 2 .

—Same . A ccessory l ip .

Fig . 3.— Asca r is cor ona ta . Dorsal l ip with accessory l ips .

Fi 4.— Physa lop tera br evisp icu lum, 6. Tail from bel ow .

Fig . 5.— Sp ir op tera secr etor ia . Head ; f. freeproj ecting secretory

fi lament .Fig . 6.

— Sp irop tera orca , 6. Tai l from bel ow .

Fig . 7.— Same

,9 . Immature egg .

Fi g . 8 .— Same . Mature egg .

Fig. 9 .— H etera lcis p us i lla , 6. Tai l from bel ow.

Fig . 10.— S trongylus digi ta tus, 6. Tai l from bel ow .

Fig . 11.— Ankylostomumminimum. Head from the r ight S ide .

Fig . 12 .- S ame , 6. Tai l from the right s ide .

Fig . l3.

—T r ichocep ha lus discolor , 6. Tail from right side .Fig. 14.

— Same, 9 . An egg .

Fig . 15.

— E chinorhynchus tener . Anterior hook of rostel lum .

Fig . 16.— Same . Posterior hook .

Fig . 17.

— Same . An egg .

Fig. 18 .— L yp erosomum squama tum,

from below .

Fig . 19 .—T r is tomummega cotgle, from below .

Fig. 20.—S ame . Rod from the caudal sucker .

OQ

PL A T E S I I . AND I I I .Fig . 21.

—H ymenolep is sep ta r ia . Transverse section .

Fig . 22 .— H ymenolep is clausa . Transverse se c ti on .

Fig . 23.— S ame . Hook .

Fig . 24.— H ymenolep is sp inosa . Transverse section .

Fig . 25.

— S ame . Hook .

Fig . 26.— Diorchis occlusa . Transverse section .

Fig . 27.— S ame . Hook .

Fig .

'

28 .

— Dava inea p olyca lca r ia . Transverse secti on .

Fig . 29 .— Same . Hook .

Fig. 30.

—D ip lochetos volvu lus . Transverse section on oneside the vas deferens i s figured , on the other the vagina .2 c

188 S PO L IA ZE YL AN IC A

Fig . 31.— S ame . Hook .

Fig . 32 .— 0p lzryocoty le z eylanica . Transverse section ; on the

one side the male organs are figured,on the other the femal e .

Fig . 33.— Same . S col ex from the frontal surface .

Fig . 34.- Same . Hook .

Fig . 35.— B rocliocepha lus p a r adoxus . Horizontal sec ti on ; th is

figure i s reproduced on Pl ate I I I .Fig . 36.

— S ame . Rostel l um in s ide vi ew .

Fig . 37. —S ame . Hook (on PI.Fig . 38 . Same . An egg .

Fig . 39 .— (Pl. C i ttotaenia bur sa r ia . Portion of a trans

verse section s . I . Bursa ejaculator ia 3. II . Seminal vesi cl e .Fig . 40.

- (Pl . S ame . An egg .

Fig . 41.— (Pl . I I I . ) Ichtliyotcenia cryp tobotlcr ium. Transverse

section through the sco lex,mm . from the apical po int .

Fig . 42 .— (Pl . S ame . Transvers e secti on .

Fig . 43.

— (Pl. I I .) Ap lianobothr ium ca tena tum. Head end inflat vi ew .

Fig . 44.— (Pl . S ame . Head end in frontal view .

Fig . 45.— (Pl . I I I . ) S ame . Transver se section through the

retracted suckers .Fig . 46.

— (Pl . S ame . S urface vi ew of posterior end .

Fig. 47.— (Pl. S ame . Portion of a transverse section .

N .B .—The remain ing figures are on PI. I I I .

Fig . 48 .— Asca r is bra chgclieilos . Dorsa l l ip .

F ig. 49 .— H eterakis granu losa , 6. Tai l f rom below .

Fig . 50.— O xgsoma fa lca tum. Head end .

Fig . 51.—S ame, 6. Tai l f rom righ t side .

Fig . 52 .—F i la r ia digi ta ta . Head end .

Fig. 53.— S ame . Tai l end ofmale from right s ide .

Fig . 54.— S ame . Tai l point s of mal e from bel ow .

Fig . 55.— S ame . Tail points of female from bel ow .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

190 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

AG AM IDZE .

C A L O T E S O P H IO M AC H U S , Merr .Judging from a y oung Specimen from Kandy in the coll ectionand from an ad ul t l ate ly cap tu red by myse l f in C o lombo , the“tw o groups of spines on each side of the head ” noted byB oulenger may be un i ted into a S ingle series .

S C INO IDJE .

MAB U IA B IB R O NII (Gray) .

Though B oulenger on ly record s this species from the C arnati cin the Fauna

,

” it i s probably not uncommon in some parts ofC ey l on , w henc e there are seve ral specimens in the C olomboMuseum which I have re- examined (se e H aly

’

s Report onRepti l ia

,&c . , C olombo , 1891, p . 14, where the species i s recorded

from Mullai tt ivu) .

L Y G O S O M A M E G AL O PS , Sp . nov .

Sub-genu s K eneuxia , G ray (see G . A . B oulenger , C atalogue ofthe L i zards in the Bri ti sh Museum ,

S econ d E di ti on,vol . I I I

1887, pp . 2 10andHabi t lacerti form l ength from snout to fore - l imb contained

abou t 11?times in the length from axi l l a to groin ; l imbs w el l

devel oped,pentadacty l e

,overlapping when adpressed ; snou t

sho rt,obtusely pointed eye l arge diameter of orbi t as great as

l ength of snout distance from orbi t to ear-O pening much l ongerthan snout ; ear-opening much smal l er than eye

,circu lar

,

without denti culations .Rostral much broader than deep , forming a s traight suture

wi th the frontonasal ; no supranasals ; nasal undivi ded . Fron talnear ly as l ong as the fron topar ietals and the inte rparie taltogether ; i nterparie tal completely separating the pari e tal s ; nodi stinct nuchal s . Fou r large , subequal sup raoculars ; seven ore ight superci l iari e s ; s ix upper and five l ow er l abial s . Dorsal sand late ral s smooth

,ventral s feebl y keel ed body scal es subequal

,

imbr icate, in tw en ty-four to tw en ty - s ix row s round the body ;anals and caudals not enlarged ; no enl arged scal e on the heelmidd le to e with twelve to fourteen subdigi tal p lates . C ol ouralmos t unifo rm dark brown . L ength of head and body , 2i nches l ength of tai l

,2ginche s .

L oca li ties .— O ne specimen from Puttalam ; another from

Ki tulgala .

L IZARDS IN T H E C O L O M B O M USE UM .

T H E C O NY X ,gen . nov.

L imbs wel l developed, pentadacty l e ; c law s retracti l e o thercharacters as in L ygosoma . Thi s new genu s i s intermediatebetw e en L ygosoma and R is tella ,

from the l atter ofw hi ch i t differsin having five digits on each foo t and in th e other po ints whichseparate the former genu s from the latter

,except as regards the

claws .

Fig. l .—Young T lieconyw Ita lianus show inggeneral form and coloration,

fromabove. x 3.

192 sPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

T H E C O NY X H AL IANU S (Nevi l l) .

As the descri ption of thi s speci es drawn up by Haly andpubl ished by Nevi l l , w ho gave i t i ts name ( E up rep es ha lianus) ,i s not very cl ear, I have based the fol l ow ing diagnosi s on thr eespec imens in the C ol ombo Museum .

Habit l ace rti form , rathe r stou t l imbs approaching one anotheror sl ight ly ov erl apping when adp ressed tai l cy l indrical

,of the

same length as the head and body . Tympanum as smal l. asnostri l , deep ly sunk . No postnasal a narrow supranasal whichdoe s not mee t i ts fel low ; rostral much broader than deepfrontal three t imes as l ong as broad

,much l onger than inter

par i etal , from whi ch i t i s c omple te ly separated ; fou r largesupraoculars, seven or eight superci l i ar ie s no d istinct nuchal s .L ow er eyel id scal y body scal e s l arge

,imbricate dorsal s with

three or five i ndi sti nct kee l s l ateral s smooth ; twenty -four scaleround the body anals sl ightly enlarged .

Fig. 2 .— L eft hand frombelow . Fig. 3.

—L eft foot frombelow .

x about 4. X about 4.

Fig. 4.—C law . x 12 .

C olora tion .— Dorsal surface ol ive (ye l low in young) w i th s ix or

seven dark transverse bars on the body which are narrower thanthe interspaces, and e ight or nine on the tai l . These are muchmore conspi cuous in the young than in the adul t and equal tothe interspaces . Head var iouslv marked with ol ive and darkbrown . Ventral surface d irty yel low . L ength of head andbody 2 i nch l ength of tai l 153, inch .

L oca lztz’

es .—~In addi tion to Nevi l l ’s type s (an adu l t from the

Western Province and a young specimen from Anuradhapura)the C olombo Museum possesses a third example (half -grown)from Horana

,col l e c ted and presented by G . H . Swayne

,E sq.

, 8thNovember

, 1901. I t i s th i s specimen I have measured, as thetail i s i nj ured in the adult, which i s at l east twice. as l arge .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

194 SPO L IA Z E Y L AN IC A .

furcate below, the two rami extending along the base of thecapitulum tergum large

,triangul ar

,almost ent i rely cover ing the

uppe r part of the membrane betw een the carina and the openingscutum large but very imperfectly deve loped inferiorly ( thelower border being qu i te indi stinct) , in contact w i th th e tergumalong the tergal margin above

,feebly separated from the carina

behind, not cl eft . Pedcmcle very short,transve rsely wrinkled .

Eli outho

p a r ts wel l developed ; the mandibl e very large, with five

teeth ; the l abrum feebly bul late ; the maxi l l a furni shed w ithstout b ri stl es along i ts free edge

,the inne r half of which i s

almost straight,w hil e the outer half i s deeply concave .

S cales ofSnake

D . tenuimlfvamAnnand . x 30. T he specimen has been removed from the

body ofthe snake to wh ich it was a ttached, some of the scales of the snake stilladhering to the short stalk of the barnacle.

S T A L KE D B ARNAC L E S IN T H E C O L O M B O M US E UM .

M ea su remen ts .

L ength of capitulum 5mm .

Breadth of capi tulum 4 mm .

L ength of peduncl e 16 mm .

This intere sting specie s i s rep resented by several spec imens,growing

,side by side wi th D . equ ina ,

on the ventral surface of asea- snake (H ydrus p la turus) from the coast of C eylon .

All the members of the genus Dichelusp z’

s are notabl e for thereducti on of the cap itul ar plates which they exhibit . In D .

tenu z’

va lva ta , however , the degeneracy i s of structure rather thanof form . The five plates represented are al l l arge

,but their

calcificati on i s so imperfect that although the mantle i s verytransparent

,I was unable to see thei r l imi ts without staining the

spec imens . E ven when thus p repared they were by no meanseasy to examine critical ly, and fai led enti re ly to di scern thel ower termination of the scuta . O n the whol e , the affi nitiesof the new form w ould seem to l ie with L anchester ’

s D . occlusa

(P . Z . S . , 1902 (2) from the east coast of the Malay Peninsul a .

From thi s species i t may be distingui shed by its extremely shortpeduncle and imperfectly differentiated but undivided scuta .

196 S PO L IA Z E Y L AN IC A .

N OT ES .

1. L a ctea l T ra ct ofO r ienta l L or is ince.—Dr . Ne lson Annandale

Deputy S uperi ntendent of the Indian M useum,wr i tes f rom

C alcutta under date S eptember 25, 1905“ In connection with what you told me regarding the mammaeof L or is gra ci lis "s I have examined the on ly tw o spec imens w e

have in Spiri t in the Indian Museum of Nycticebus ta rdigrada s ,vi z . , (1) a male foetu s 55mm . long

,and (2) a large femal e . The

first i s qu i te hai rl e ss,and I had no diffi cul ty i n detecting tw o

pai rs of mammae as minute tubercle s on it s skin . The first l ie sin a l ine w i th the centre of the upper arm when the l imb i spressed down along the s ide the second on ly a short di stanceabove the umbi l icu s

,bu t in the same positi on relative to the

sides of the body as the first .“ A somew hat prolonged search among the hair of the large

female . w hich was no t in l actation al so resul ted in the di scoveryof fou r mammae in the same position . O ne pai r therefore maybe said to be pectoral and one abdominal , though there i s not anyvery great separation between the two pai rs . ”

N . ANNANDAL E .

2 . C ur ious a ction ofa T oad when confr onted by a S nake— I

have in my vivarium a “ stri ped ground snake ( T rop idonotus

stolutus , L .) wh i ch feeds exc lu sively upon toads and i s alw aysready for a meal . U nder ordinary ci rcumstan ces i t sei zes i t sprey before the latter i s aware of i ts p resence . But

,i f the toad

catches sight of the snake in time,i t can always (temporari ly)

aver t its doom by assuming a very characteri stic atti tude thatse ems to completely disconcert i ts w ould -be captor . The toadfaces its enemy

,depresses i t s head ti l l the snout almost touches

the ground , erects itsel f on tip -toe,in which posi ti on— owing to

the superior length of the hind limbs— the rump i s e levated ; atthe same time inflating i ts abdomen to its utmost extent . If thesnake does not immediately move off (which i t usual ly doe s) ,the toad al ternate ly l owers and rai ses the h inder part o f thebody , a movemen t which final ly routs the enemy . Thi s curiousaction is taken by even qui te smal l toads and cannot be the resul tof indiv idual experience . I t would appear to be an inheri tedinst inct .

E . E RNE ST G RE E N .

Peradeniya , O ctober 26, 1905.

Willey in Sp olia Zeylanica , part X 1905.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

198 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

5. M inera ls new or ra re in C eylon—O f the fol l owingmineral s, some were omitted from the l ist o f C ey lon mineral sgiven in Sp olia Zey lanica , part IX . , 1905; the remainder havebeen discovered since .

A .— M inera ls new to C ey lon .

G a lena .—O ccurs in smal l cubes and rol l ed fragments in nambu

from the G etaheta- oya at M urutangala in G etaheta . Reportedfrom other l ocali ti es .C a ssi ter i te.

— O ccurs as smal l black pebbl es in nambu atNiriella and Noragala, and in larger fragments at Kuruwita .

S eleni te.— Massive at Kukulaw alakanda, Ratmal e, Pasdun

Korale , i ntergrown with pyri te between veins of graphi te [JamesPar sons] al so in crystal s in fossi l i ferous marine cl ays, Matti -aru ,Kuchaveli , north of T r icomalee .

M ona z i te.— O ccurs in waxy yellow wel l -w orn grains in sands

of the G etaheta-oya and other ri vers near Avisaw ella ; but wasfirst detected by Dr . J . W . E vans in specimens of heavy sands fromthe N ir iella-ganga sent to the Imperial Institute by the Mineralogical S urvey .

0rangi te.—It has been pointed out that the “ thori te of

C eylon real l y belongs to the var ie ty known as orangite,di s

tinguished by sl ightly greater specific gravity and orange col our.The apparently orthorhombic form of the mineral howeverremains unexplained: The crystal s are not good enough to givesati sfactory measurements

,and too much al tered internal l y for

optical examination .

Pla tinum.— O ccurs very sparingly

,associ ated with gold in

ri ver sands at Dombagomuw a and Karaw i ta, S abaragamuwa .[James Parsons] .

The fol lowing mineral s have been reported, but on present.evidence cannot be accepted as found in C ey l on . The sulphidesare quite l ikely to be found z— C innaba r , S tibni te, Rea lga r

E psomi te, O livine [ see Bertha Vuk i ts C entralblatt fii r . Min . e tc1904, No . 23, p . Mineral s sent by the Mineral ogical Surveyto the Imperial Institu te we re p rovi si onal ly identified as

Annerodite and ZE schynite or Pol ycrase .

B .- M iner a l names omi tted in the L i s t.

M olybdeni te.— Recorded by Dr . G ygax, and in Gu stav L eonhard ’sH andw tirterbuch der topographischen Mineralogie , 1843. I

re-discovered thi s mineral thi s year in the Kegal la Di stri ct,where i t occurs [at Hettimul la] in a vein of pegmat ite cutting thegranuli tes .

NO T E S . 199

Wolframite i s al so recorded by L eonhard , as wel l as S a ltp etreand Rose qua r tz , both of w hich latte r are certain ly found inC eyl on .

O r iental E merald i s ment ioned by M ax Bauer i n his “ E dels

einkunde,” which i s however total l y unrel iable as regards C ey lon .

Greenish sapphire s do occ ur,but rarely, and hardly deserve the

name of O riental E merald . N .B .- M ax Bauer states erroneously

that Beryl does not occur in C ey lon .

B ecca r i tc.— A biaxi al var iety of Z ircon from C ey lon .

Andes ine.— (Des cloiseaux,

B arman— (Mentioned by Dana) .I am indebted to Mr . L . J . S pencer for several of these refer

ences.

C .— S oni e ea r ly Records .

Ni col o C onti , who travel led in the E ast between 1419 and 1444,speaks of a very nobl e i sland, cal l ed Zei lan, i n which they findby digging

,rubi es

,setfares, garnets, and those stones which are

cal led cat’s-eyes .”Albanasius Nilik in,

who trave l led between 1468 and 1474,

speaks thu s of C eylon C eylon i s another not inconsiderab leport of the Indian sea . There , on a hi l l , i s the tomb of Adam ,

andin the vicini ty are found prec ious stones

,antimony

,fastisses,

agate, cinchai, crys tal , sumbada . A little after he says : “ At

C eylon you find ammone,antimony , fati sses .

”

O fthese,antimony

i s not known to occur in C eyl on c inchai doubtless refers toSpinel (kir inchi ) . Agate of a sort does occur spar ingly in C eyl on

,

but i t i s more l ikely that agate of Indian origin i s here referred to .

L udovico de Varthema , who trave l l ed from 1503 to 1508,speaks of the rubies

,garnets , sapphi res , j acinths, and topazes of

C eylon .

These references are extracte d from S i r George B irdw ood’s

Report on the O ld Records of the Ind ia O ffice ,” L ondon , 1891.

A . K . C O O M ARASWAM Y

6. Recent M ar ine C lays a t Kuchaveli , C eylon : Ananda K .

C oomaraswamy .

Note on some Post T er tiary M ollusca from C ey lon R . B u llen

Newton.

Geol . Mag. , Dec . v . vol . I I . , No . X L ,November, 1905.

A recen t marine clay i s exposed near Nach ch iarmalai on theMatti-am (near Kuchaveli , 22 miles nor th of Trincomal ee) about

200 S PO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

mil e from the coas t, at abou t sea level . The section show sabout 9 feet of al luv i um resting on the clay bed w hich is aboutfeet thi ck, the lower part being under w ater . The bed i s fu l l

o f marine shel ls,and contains also concretionary nodules w i th

shel l s, serpu lae , and crab remains . All these also occur common lyw ashed o ut and scatte red over the sand banks of the Matti - aru .

The common crab, used medi c inally,i s M a crop t/i a linus L a treillei

(Desmarest) , the medicine crab of the C hinese pharmacopce ia i t has been found in the Post- terti ary clays of S outhernC hina . A singl e chelate pincer bel onged to S cylla ser ra ta (De

Haan) , the great Indian sw imming crab . The fol l ow ing shel l stogether with annel i d tubes, Balan i , fossil wood , and the crabscomplete the l i st of organisms collec ted

T elescop iuni telescop iu in (L i nnaeus) .P otamides fluvia ti lis (Po tiez and Michaud ) .Purp ur a ca r inifer a (L amarck) .Na ssa orna ta (Kiener) .M elongena pugilina (Bour) .Na tr ia ,

sp .

S capha r ca r /iombea (Bour ) .A r ca , sp .

P la cuna p la centa (L innaeus) . This i s the w indow-paneoyster

,

” and i t is exceedingly abundant i n the bed .

T ap es undula ta (Bou r) .T ap es textr ia

'

(C he inint z ) .

Dip lodonta ,cf. oblonga (Han l ey) .

T ellina , sp .

Dos in ia sa lebrosa (Roemer) .C hione al l i ed imbr ica ta (S owerby ) .

Three points in Mr . Bull en N ewton ’s paper must be

noticed

( 1) As stated in my paper, nodules occur in the clay bed ,and one crab -nodu l e was found in s i tu ; there i stherefore no foundation for his suggestion that thefo ssil s in the nodu l es may be younger than those inthe cl ay .

(2 ) I t doe s no t appear how the identity of l i ttoral faunacan prove the recent connection of C ey lon w i thIndia .

(3) The parti cular sp ecimens examined were not p resentedas stated .

ANANDA K . C O O M ARASWAM Y .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

202 S PO L IA Z E Y L AN IC A .

i t self round the “ pumpkin feasts upon bee l arvae and honey .

The co lour of the repti l e found in such situati ons i s reddishbrown, and i ts sting i s innocuous .

C . DRIE BE RG .

9 . S nakes and fonds — While si t ting on the verandah ofGokare l la resthouse, some 12 miles from Kurunegala, I obse rveda pul let pursuing a snake 12 to 15inches in l ength . At i nterval sthe latter turned upon i ts antagonist

,and attempted to entwine

i tself round the neck of the bird,which

,h owever

,snatched i t

away without much diffi culty wi th i ts claws,and proceeded to

peck at its head,when the snake w ould again try to get away .

In the end,when the snake was about half dead

,the fowl

started to sw al low it , taking the head first,and after persistent

effor ts the repti l e,w riggl ing to the last

,disappeared down the

throat of the bird .

To me thi s was a novel exper i ence,but I s ubsequently l earned

from the resthouse -keeper and others that i t w as a commonenough occurrence in the country side

,and that vi l lage poul try

.

asa rule at tack and make a meal of such snakes as H aldandafi

‘

AharakukaJ and E hetuw a . i

C . DRIE B E RG .

10. M oths a t sea .—During the forenoon of November 18 , 1905,

when about sixty miles from the coast of C eylon, several specimensof Op hideres fullon ica were found on board H .M . S . Sealark andwere brought to me . The noon position of the ship w as 6°

N . ,79°01

'

E .,C olombo C l ock Tower bear ing N . 49 E . 67mil es so

that the nearest land was the coast about B arberyn . The wind wasnortherly and l ight (force about It seems p robable that thesespecimens came 05with the land breeze of the preced ing night

,

bu t the distance from land w hich they had attained appearsnoteworthyS e ve ra l specimen s of C ep honodes hy la s were al so flying aboutthe ship at the same time , but thi s specie s is a wel l -knownmigrant .

THO S . BAINB RIG G E FL E TCHE R,

H .M . S . Sealark .

December 4, 1905.

Dendrop his p ictus .

‘

I‘ T rop idonotus s tola tus . ID ryop hi s mycter i zans .

T ERM ITE TRUFFLE8.

*

By DR . F . DO Ii‘L E IN (Munich) .

MO NG social insects the Termites [or “ white ants havebeen the obj ect of the least amount of biological investiga

tion. What has become known concerning their l i fe and pol iticalorganiza tion is to be found scattered chiefly in systemati c works .So i t happened that one of the most interesting discoveriesconnected with Termite l ife was hardly recognized in S cienceal though the analogous condi tions among the ants had awakenedthe highest regard .

The facul ty possessed by certain Termite s of cul t ivating fungii n their hi l locks ' has been remarked and more or l e ss cl earlyportrayed by a succession of natural i st s from the time ofSmeathman, 1781. I w i l l not rev i ew the li terature here as I shal ldo thi s in a more de tai l ed work . I t may be mentioned thathi therto no one has i nvestigated the phenomenon in al l i ts aspectsand that consequently, in spi te of i t s importance, i t has hardlybeen touched upon in general bi ological l i terature.

Thus I w as completely taken by surprise as I opened a Termitehil lock in C eylon not far from C olombo in order to procure wel lpreserved material of Termite brains w hich I had promi sed to acol l eague . The nest had the form of a high arched dome

,

terminating above in two chimney - l ike funnel s . The heightamounted to 14 5metre the funnel s had a l ength of about 20- 30cent imetres .U pon O pening the hi l lock i t was at once evident that its thick ,sol id cl ay mass was traversed by a large number of chambers .E ach of these chambers had approximate ly the size of a cocoanut .The wal l s were smooth and several or many narrow passagesconnected each chamber with the neighbou ring compartmen ts .E very chamber was fi l l ed with pecul iar formations

,namely

,

brown cakes of a moi st,fri abl e substance which in fo rm

,s ize

,and

structure s trongly re sembled middle- si zed bath - sponges . O ne

T ranslation of an article by Dr . Doflein entitled “ Die Pilzkulturen der

T ermiten, published in the Verhandlungen der Deutschen ZoologischenG esellschaft (xv. ,

B reslau,

L eipz ig, 1905, pp . 140- 149 , two text-figures .

2 E 10-06

204 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

o r several of such cakes were present in each chamber ; whenseveral occurred they w ere pil ed one over the o ther l ike di shes .These cakes were occupied by thousands of Termites . The

plan of composition of the “ cake consisted of a multi tude ofsmal l ce l l s each of w hich had its numerous inhabitants especial lythe passages between the cel l s seethed w i th l arvae and nymphs ofall stages .The framework of the cake was furthermore beset with rela

tively numerous white nodules, about the size of a pin ’s head,1—2 mm . diamete r, w hi ch at fi rst I took to be Termite eggs .Microscope examination showed me however that they werestructures of quite a different nature .O ne cou l d perceive with the unaided eye that the enti re cakewas covered

,inside and outside wi th a fine fel t of fungus hyphae

These as sociated themselves in masses at certain p laces and asthei r terminalparts branched and expanded in a parti cular mannerglobular aggregates of cl ub - shaped bodies— in other words

, the

w hite nodules,which I wil l henceforthdesignatemycelia lnodu leswere p roduced . At pre sent I wi ll not d i scuss the botanical s ideof the question .

The resemblance to the growths observed by Mol ler i n thefungus gardens of ant s of the genus Alta in Brazil , immediatelyoccurred to me . As a matter of fact the mycel ial nodules servethe same purpose to the Termites that M O ller ’

s nodu les do to theS outh American ants . At the same time there are certain biological pecul iar iti es to be mentioned which are of interest andhave not hi therto been observed .

I was abl e to prove by difierent ways that the mycel ial nodulesare eaten . In the first p lace I opened the int estine of numerousind ividual s and found them in the momof al l the l arvae andnymphs which I examined . Indeed the crops were compl ete lyfi l l ed with them

,and no thing beside s . The cel l s of the mycelia l

nodules were al l quite uninj ured . The foregoing appl ies al ike tothe l arvae of workers and sol die rs and to the l arvae and nymphsof the sexual individuals .I al so succeeded in actual ly feeding the larvae of the workers

and soldiers as wel l as the larvae and nymphs o f the sexua linsects with the mycel ial nodules . By ofi er ing a s ingle noduleon the po int of a needl e to animal s which had hungered for somehours or for a day

,they accepted the proffered d iet . I t was

interesting to observe how they first of al l investigated it withtheir palps , then took i t between the mouth -parts , and slow lyturned i t round for a long time working it with the points of themandibles . I t i s no t easy to observe these O perations because the

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

206 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

space o f a square foot by unceasingly app ly ing smal l clumps ofmasonry mixed wi th thei r sal iva .

An i nteres ting observation coul d now be made . O wing to thefact that evaporation was grea tly reduced under the bel l - j ar , thenewly bui lt roof remained soft and unstabl e and retai ned thi sconsistency for several days unti l I exposed i t to the free air ,when i t completely hardened after a few hours .The mixing of the bui lding mater ial wi th the sal iva of the

Termites not only ensure s a very firm construction , but mak esthe wall s in a high degree re si stent towards wetting . T he Termite buildings brought by me to Munich sti l l show thi s propertyw i th great cl earness . When I tri ed to saturate one of the nestswith l ime water i n order to streng then it

,i t cou ld not be wetted ,

whereas thi s method was constantly employed with advantage tothe nests of E uropean Hymenoptera , &c . The Termite nestshowed an equal resistance against being wetted wi th alcohol i cso lution of she l lac .From thi s obse rvat ion something may be inferred w hich other

wise the inspection of the internal d i sposi t ion of the Te rmite nestreveal s . For thi s purpose I w i l l first describe the fungus cakesi n regard to their structure and in the ir rel ati on s to the nest .U pon opening a Te rmite nest one finds that the substance of the

“ truffle i s fri abl e and sof t . O nly w hen thi s i s the case are therecesse s of the truffle covered wi th mycel ial nodules and theentire structure populated by numerou s Termites w i th theirlarvae. S ometimes I came across places in the nests where thetruffle s were hard and dry then they were de sti tute of nod ule sand were not inhabited

,except for a few scattered w orkers in the

cel l s . Fresh cakes dry rather readily w hen exposed to a currentof ai r . I t is thus very easy to prepare them for transport, and theyhave frequently been rece ived into zoo logical col l ec ti ons

,although

thei r actual nature has not been recognized . They become ashard as wood . but always remain brittl e and very fragi le owing totheir delicate composition .

Microscop ic examination of thei r substance shows that the finebrown scaffol ding of w hich they are composed consi sts exclusive ~ly of finely chewed wood . Thus the great wood -hunger of theTermites and the cause of thei r extraordinary destructivenessbecame c lear to me . Just as the specie s of A lta in S outh Americaoccasion great damage to the le aves of l iving plants in that theyemploy the ir substance for thei r fungus plantati ons

,so the

T he termtruffle is used in the transla tion a s an alternative termfor fungus

T E RM IT E T RUFFL E S . 207

Termi tes are the destroy ers of wood . I t appears that on ly a fewSpecies attack l iving wood most kinds content themselves withdead wood or such as has been in any way al ready damagedby fungi . In the O pen therefore they are benefici al rather thaninj u rious, since they act as scavengers of rotten wood . But whenthey come into contact w i th man they become some of the mostinj uriou s insects of the tropics

,

-since woodwork which i s adaptedfor thei r purposes forms an important constituent of humandwel l ings and furniture .

The wood i s bitten up qui te fine,in the substance of the

fungus cakes and in the intestinal contents of the workersone finds the finest ve ssels of the wood i solated . Thi s woodbrew is di scharged through the vent as a smal l clump whi chi s evidently mixed with sal i va and used in bui lding the funguscakes . I t i s interesting to note that in other case s where Termitesbui ld their dw e l l ing or the main part of i t ou t of dung

,the same

fundamental arrangement of wall s and passages recurs,as here

,

where they buil d for the purpose of the fungus cultivation .

I f a fungus cake from a Termi te nest be exposed to the l ightunder a bel l -j ar to protect i t from draught and evaporation

,the

fructification of the Termite fungus can be easi ly induc ed,a

property which distingui shes it markedly from the Rhoz i tesforms cul t ivated by the A tta species . After a few day s numerouslong club- shaped fructifications grow forth from the thick felt ofhyphae which has meanwhile developed . I w i l l say no moreabout the species and form of the fungus in thi s pl ace as mystudies are not yet compl eted . I need only point out that oth erspec ies of fungi appeared very gradual ly on the cake

,whereas

other obj ects in the vi ci nity were subj ect to a dai ly coatingof moul d . The tendency of the fungus cul tures of the Termite sto grow in pure cul ture appears to be very strong

,even when the

cake contai ns scarce ly any Termite s . The purity of the cul turecannot therefore be p laced to the account of the ti rele ss weedingby the workers

,as i s . done by M Oller for the fungus plantati ons

of A tta . At the conclusion I will revert to thi s point once more .When a Termite t ruffle i s kept under a bell - j ar with moderate

access of ai r,in very short time the i nner surface of the jar i s

covered with w ater drops which after some hours run in smal lstreams down the glass and form small accumulation s of wate rin which the Termites can be drowned . The fungus caketherefore give s off a quanti ty of water by evaporation . U ndersuch great moisture the fructification of the fungus takes placeand the format ion of mycel ial nodu l es i s stopped and the entirestructure tends in h igh degree to mouldiness .

208 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

There i s a further point worthy of note in the cul tivati onunder the bel l -j ar . After a short time

,1- 2 days, one sees th e

Termites in large numbers ly ing upon thei r backs and real izesthat they are suffocated . Termites taken from the same cultureand kept between two hermetical ly closing w atch-gl asse s wi thou tpieces of cake

,which were kept during th e same time

,l ived and

were perfect ly active . I t fol l ows from th i s that the suffocationof the former w as not due to lack of air, especial ly since accessof ai r to the mai n culture was not entirely prevented .

U pon rai s ing t he be l l - j ar i t was not iceable that the Space wasfi l led with a gas mixture w hich was cl early very different in itscompos ition from the atmospher i c ai r . In breathing it oneexperienced a st rong oppressi on , as wel l as a very remarkableodour l ike tha t of the gas proceeding from fe rmenting substances .In any case a large amount of carboni c ac id gas had formed, i fnot other gases

,perhaps as a col lateral result of the grow th of

the fungus at the expense of the wood .

All those appearances which are observed under the Specialcondi tions of culture outs i de the Termite nest are natural lyabsent insi de the hi l lock . There , through the specia l constructionof the nest

,i t i s arranged that necessary temperature and

moisture for the development of the fungus remains constant .The bui lding materi al i s up to a certain point waterproof

,so that

nei ther an excess ive evaporation from th e fungus cake through thewal l of the chamber

,nor the entrance of rain from without

,ensues .

What howe ve r i s most important i s that the entire method ofconstructi on of the hi l lock ensures the elaborate vent il ation ofi ts inner Spaces ; the Termi te hi l locks w ith their chimney finesare hygienic dwell ings .The chimney s are ai r shaft s which conduct away moisture

,

carbonic acid gas,and othe r inj urious gases, whil e fresh air can

enter through the l ower open ings . These venti lation flues canat any time accord ing to the increase of the stock, cl imati c vari ati ons

,&c . ,

be al tered and adapted . Thus i s expl ai ned the quitedifferent number of chimneys which arise from a Termite hi l lock,and i t would be of inte res t to under take a comparative study ofthe size and number of chimneys , S i ze of h i l l ock, number offungus chambers

,climate and l ocali ty , bui lding material , popula

t ion,and systematic posi t ion of the Termite species under question .

That the draught in these chimneys can , under circumstances,be considerable

,i s indicated by the ap pl ication which travel lers

have frequently found for the Termite nests . Qui te recently i t hasbeen repeated ly reported that our troops in S outh -West Africahave used the Termite nests as ovens , sel ecti ng those forms

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

210 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

DESC RIPT I O N OFANEWSPECIES OF OPIOS FROM C EYLO N .

By P . C AM E RO N .

Op ius da cus ii , sp . nov .

U T E O U S , the flagel lum of antennae and the hinder t ibiae andtarsi b lack ; the wings hyal ine, with black stigma and

nervures ; 9 . L ength near 5mm . ; terebra fu l ly 5 mm ., Pera

deniya ; bred by Mr . E . E . Green from D ipterous maggotsinfesting fru it of C ucurbitaceae.

Antennae l onger than the body , over 60- j ointed ,towards the

apex minutely hai red. Head smooth and shining,the face

covered with white pubescence . Prothorax and mesothoraxsmooth and Shining, the parapsidal furrows deep ; middle l obeof mesonotum clearly separated, l ong, gradual ly narrowed fromthe base to the apex which reaches c lose to the scutel lum .

S cutel l ar depressi on wi de and deep ; a stout keel in i ts centre .Metanotum areolated ; the areola large, i ts base narrowed to asharp point ; the rest sl ightly , gradual ly narrowed towards theapex

,which does not reach to the end of the segment ; i t i s

closed and transverse there there i s a somewhat tri angular areabordering the base of the areola ; the other areae are not verycl early defined . The basal two segments of the abdomen areclosely

,regularly , l ongi tudinal ly striated ; the o ther segments

are smooth and shining the first i s l onger (but not much) thani ts width at the apex ; the second i s wider than long . Pl euraesmooth . Mandibl e s black on the apical hal f . First absci ssa ofradius very short

,basa l absc issa of radius curved the recurrent

nervure i s received in the second cubi tal cellute the transversemedian nervure is received dis tinctly beyond the transversebasal . Malar space as l ong as the antennal scape ; the clypealfoveae l arge, deep . The re i s a s tout keel dow n the centre of thebasal abdominal segment

,the late ral striae being weak compared

w i th i t . The abdomen i s sl ightly shorter than the thorax, broadand sessi le at the base ; the apex i s bluntly rounded . Mesopleural furrow smooth .

1. H istor ic T rees—The substance of thi s Note appeared in thecorrespondence columns of the C eylon Observer on December29

,1905, and January 6, 1906.I t i s probably du e to S ir James E merson Tennent that an i dea

prevai ls that B aldaeus preached hi s first sermon in C eylon underthe big tamarind tree which sti l l flouri shes at Point Pedro .

Tennent say s C l ose by the beach there i s sti l l s tanding thetamarind tree commemorated by B aldaeus, who preached underits shade to the first Protestan t convert s i n C eyl on (vol . I I .

,

p .

It i s no doubt due to thi s passage in Tennent that Mr. J . J . C otton,

in his History of Monumental Inscripti on s in the MadrasPresi dency

,

” recently pub l i shed,refers to the tree at Point Pedro

under which the cel ebrated B aldaeus preached hi s first d i scourseto the natives .But B aldaeus

,though he certain ly commemorates the tre e by

recording that j ust before the church stands a tal l TamarinTree

,w hich afi ords a ve ry agreeable Shadow in the heat of the

day,

” say s nothing abou t having preached under i t himself,but

merely that “ the people are often instructed by the Min ister tothe number of under i t (pp . 806

I t i s certainly not true that he preached hi s firs t sermon inC eylon at Point Pedro , for that he had done at Mannar on 24thFebruary

,1658 , and i t i s recorded that in the same y ear , “ in the

church at T elippalai , B aldaeus began the i ntroduction of thereformed rel igion into the Jaffna Peninsula .” This being the case

,

i t seems hardly l ikely that he preached his first sermon to convertsat Poin t Pedro at any rate

,there i s nothing that I know of to

warrant the statement . Perhaps Mr . Donald Ferguson may be ableto throw a light on the subj ect . (See B aldaeus and hi s Book onC ey lon,” by Donald Ferguson , p .

Tennent goes on to state that this historical tree was i n hisday 42 feet in circumference at the base of the trunk . I have hadthe tree measured at the base of the trunk ; i t i s now 31 f eet .This i s doubtless expl ained by the fact that unt il 50years ago the2 F 10—06

212 S PO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

tree w as surrounded by a masonry platform , bui lt right up to thetrunk . This platform was three or four fee t h igh

,and as many

wide , so that in measuring the tree, Tennent ’s informant musthave inc l uded the platform .

There i s no doubt that the tree sti l l exi sting i s the tree referredto by B aldaeus and Tennent . I t is si tuated about 300yards fromthe seashore

,and was evi dently at one time fu l ly v i s ible from the

landing place . The whol e interven ing space has since been bui l tover wi th the high s tone-wal led hou ses , godown s, and temples thatare character is ti c ofPoint Pedro , but the top of the tree can stil lbe seen f rom the C ustoms , and the tree i s a conspicuous landmarkfor vessel s approaching the harbour . I t i s

,I think

,the tal l est

tamarind tree I have eve r seen . I have ascertained from the oldestinhabitants that there w ere never any old tamarind trees of anyS ize in the neighourhood, bu t that thi s tree w as alw ays said to bea very old one . I shou l d think it might easi ly be 300years old .

T he tamarind is a S l ow growing tree . O pposite i t used to stand,

unti l they were removed by Mr . Dyke to the present s i tes, thePol ice Magi strate ’s house and the Pol i ce C ourt, and near them theDutch church . There i s no trace of any of these bui ldings now .

The square open space behind the tree i s now occupi ed by themarket . A good many y ears ago , but wi thin l iving memory , thetree and the adj oining Poli ce C our t w ere frequen ted by monkeys(the wandura) . These have l ong since di sappeared .

B aldaeus al ludes to the gratefu l shade of the tree . There is aTami l proverb that a widow’s son should not S leep in the shadeof a tamar ind tree . I t i s supposed to be more pl easan t than thatof any other tree

,and

,therefore , calcu lated to make any one, who

l ies down in its Shade , di sincl ined to move or to besti r himse l f asi s necessary in the case of the son of a widow .

C hristian Frederick S chw arz , the w e l l -known Missi onary ofTanj ore

,whose monument by Flaxman i s in S chwarz ’s C hurch a t

Tanj ore,visi te d Point Pedro on 5th September , 1760, for the ex

press purpose of se eing this tree ( see L i s t of Monumental Inscr ip ti ons of Madras

,by J . J . C o tton) . In any case i t deserves the

title of a hi storical tre e .

”

As to the age to w hich tamarind trees attain,I think there can

be no doubt that l ik e the oak they l ive fo r some hundreds of yearsI have seen a tamarind tree at Kachchil amadu in the Mu l lai ttivuD i strict, which is sti l l known as “ Pandara

’

s tree . Pandara w as

a -Vanni ch ief tain,w ho entered into a league w i th the S inhalese

chiefs of Nuw arakalaw iya w ho w ere hosti le to the Bri ti sh . and w as

defeated here by C ap tain Driberg on 31s t O ctober, 1803. ( See

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

M O O RIS H DAG G E R AND S H EAT H x i

T o face 17.

NO T E S . 213

Vanni Manual,pp . 19 The tradi tion i s that after the fight

the arms of the defeated S inha l ese (for they were chi efly S inhaleseof Nuw arakalaw iya) were p il ed under thi s tree . I had i t measuredthe other day ; the trunk w as 2 1 feet in girth , 4 feet from theground, so that i t i s 10feet less than B aldaeus ’

s tree . There i s nodoubt that this tree was in exi stence 102 years ago, and in al lprobabi l i ty i t was even then a large ‘

tree. Native opinion i s that atamarind tree may l ive two or three hundred years . I have seenvery large trees in the Vanni

,and they always indi cate the si te s of

abandoned vi l lages— vi l lages abandoned perhaps 100years ago ormore .

The Park Jaffna . J . P . L EWIS .

2 . T he iM oor inen’s Weap on

— I annex a photograph of a cur iouskind of dagger w i th i ts wooden sheath from the col lection of thelate Mr . R . W. Ievers, which has been acquiredfor the Museum . I t i s known as a saniusadu or fa inij adu ,

for both forms of the w ord are used,and i t appears to be the di s

tinctive weapon of the Moormen of C eylon , for a representati onof i t i s one of theirbrandmarks for cattl e . There are two forms ofthis brandmark given in the paper on B randmarks on C attle ,”by the late Mr . James de Alw is

,publ i shed in the Journal of the

C eylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic S oci e ty for 1874 (vol .V . , p . In one (No . 51) i t i s represented as of the Shape(fig . which shows that the weapon i t sel f was hardly famil i arto the people who u sed its shape for a brandmark .

In the other (No . which i s given as the brandmark of theMoormen of C hilaw it has become an ordinary dagger (fig .

but in the Tangal l a Di strict,where I also found i t used as a

brandmark by the Moormen , the shape was nearer to the original .I met with three forms .Here (fig . 3) the idea of a weapon al so seems to have been lost, and

this parti cularbrandmark was descr ibed to me as tambufadiya (acopper j ar) into which the word samusadu had been corrupted inthe cours e of time—another proof that the true origin of the markhad been forgotten . The other shapes were know n as u lmadahhusamusadu (samusadu with an inwards bend) (fig . andp era

-ni adakhu -sa inusadu (samusadu with an outward s bend)(fig .

I do not know where Mr . l evers came across thi s specimen .

Possibly specimens of the weapon might be found in India,

214 S PO L IA Z E YL AN ICA .

w here in al l probabil i ty thi s particu l ar fo rm of dagger hadi ts origin .

This spec imen is rather an elaborate one, the handle and sheathhaving on them silver work of arti stic design . I t i s a footi n length . I t i s no teworthy that the handle i s rather too narrowfor a E uropean hand to grasp comfortably

,as I have found to be

the case al so with C ey lon knuckl e dusters .

January 1906. J . P. L EWIS .

[The weapon descri bed i n the foregoing note has the same formas the Katar or Indian dagger

,which has been described as the

national weapon of the Hindu and “ i s ment ioned by Ibn Batuta,w ho l i ved in the days of Mohamed T oghluk— that i s, about1332 A .D .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

216 SPO L I A ZE YL AN IC A .

When I w as stung by the scorpion they would not l e t me kil li t ti l l the next day . Probably i t was considered that

,as with

snakes , the animal w i thdraw s the poi son to itsel f if not ki l l ed .

”

A . K . C O O M ARASWAM Y .

4. F light of whi te and yellow bu tterflies — This we l l -knownphenomenon takes place twice annual ly

,in the months of

February and November, and is alw ays a source of interest, noton ly to entomologists but to al l who have eyes to see

,and many

are the remarks of wonderment at thi s curious and pretty S ightwhich enl ivens the monotony of the streets and byways ofC olombo . I amnot going to explain thi s bi -annual migration , forI cannot

,but these few l ines are based upon observati ons taken

dur ing the fl ights,more especial ly the fl ight of November last ,

which commenced on the 1st November and lasted practical lyt i l l the end of that month

,al though a few stragglers are sti l l to

be found lay ing eggs which w i l l give r i se to the February fli ght .The butterflie s are almost exclusively composed of difi erentSpeci es of C a topsi lia ,

and as these Show a vari ety of forms andphase s the whol e makes up a very varied co l l ecti on of yel l owsand whi tes .I have taken great interest in these fl ights for several years, butnever before have I seen the numbers SO prol ific as during lastNovember in C olombo .

At 2 P .M . on the 2 l st November, when the fl ight was at itshighest

,I counted during one minute 150, during another minute

170, and duri ng a third mi nute 148 butterfli es passing betweentwo points 30feet apart and 12 feet high

,making an average

of 156per minute . At tw o other place s I made s imilar reckonings

,resul ting in an al l round ave rage of abou t 150per minute

traversing a given space . In many different part s of theC innamon Garden s I observed equal ly l arge quantiti es in fl ight sothat

,according to my computati on , the number of butterfl ies

passing in one direction betw een tw o points,a mi le apart and 12

fee t f rom the ground, would be per minute, perhour , and betw een the hours of 11 AM . an d 3P .M . onthe one day alone .T hey were fly ing particu larl y fast and in constant processionrarely one would stop for a few seconds to al ight on some

NO T E S .

conspicuous flower,such as the H ibiscus and Cbsmos, as though to

quench its thirst,then away again in greater haste than ever as

if to make up for lost t ime .

AS u sual in C olombo, the flights were northwards,but thi s

does not appear to be the case al l over the I sland , for Maj orManders* observed that they fol lowed the coast line

,starting

somew here north of Trin comaleeand working right round thesouth coas t to Negombo . Maj or Manders does not record the

direction of the fl ights in the more central porti on s of the I sland,

for instance,Nuwara E l i ya, Kandy , D iyatal aw a , &c . In Nuw ara

E l iya and D iyatal awa a westerly direction is taken and this i sprobabl y main tained al l over the central portion of the I slandi t wou ld therefore be interest ing to know the directi on taken byfl ights betw een the central prov i nces and the east coast

,namely

,

whether they strike east and j oin the c i rcuminsular fl ight orstrikewest passing over D iyatalawa, Horton Plains

,Nuwara

E l iya,&c .

Maj or Mander s,in hi s interesting no tes, deal s w i th the direction

of fl ight of those proceeding from Tr incomal ee to Negombo, i .e. ,

i n the maritime region s on ly,so that we have sti l l to ascer tain

where the butterfl i es come from w hich p ass over the centralp r ovi nces .The abrupt manner in which the fl ight starts is very remark

ab le . For instance , last November a few straggl ing . C a tap si lia s

w e re to be seen on the first of that month on the fo l l ow ing daythe flight was in ful l sw ing

,the numbers gradual ly increasing

unti l the 21st , then diminishing to quite a few on the 3ls t .

Before the 2nd November there was no regular flight in onedi rection .

In the case of Oa top si lia pyr anthe I have c areful l y observedthat the females begin l aying their eggs tow ards the end of therush

,the few straggl ing females being then respon sibl e for the

next or February flight . In November of la st y ear oviposi tioncommenced towards the end of the month and is sti l l go ing onup to the t ime of w ri ting

,as an examinati on of the food plant

(C a ssia occidenta lis) wi l l Show .

The question now arises When a nd where a r e the eggs la id

which p r oduce the p r olific November flight ? T he eggs laidtowards the end of November fl ight are undoubtedly responsible for the February fl ight

— the period normally occupie d fromegg to imago being from three to four weeks . (In countri eshaving a w inter many insects hibernate, but I have not observed

T rans . E ntom, Soc . , L ondon, 1904, No . 26.

2 18 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

such a dormant peri od in any C eyl on butterfli e s) . If the femalesof the February flight lay the eggs for the November flight

,

presuming they are to hatch in November,the chances are that

the heavy rains of S W. monsoon (May to August) would destroythe maj ori ty , l eaving few fo r the November fl ight

,w hereas the

l atter i s the more prol ific bu t supposing the feeding grounds ofthe larvae of the latte r are in districts no t effec ted by S W .

monsoon then i t i s d ifficul t to understand why they, apparentl y,do not emerge and form a fligh t simi lar to the other two

,some

where about March, Apri l , or May , but, in C ol ombo , at any rate ,practical ly no C a top si lia s are to be seen during the seven or e ightmonths preceding the Novembe r flight . I can on ly arriv e at twoexplanations

( l) The offspring of the February flight m ust l i e in a dormantS tate during one or o the r of their stages , for several months ; or(2 ) the speci es must breed throughout the year i n some favourable local i ty as regards food -plan t and weather . The reason theydo not migrate at regular intervals i s most probably due to thehabit of thei r favouri te food p lant, w hich i s an annual l eg uminoussh rub ; i t d ie s off during the first dry months of the year aftershedding its seeds ; the se spring up again with the c ommencement of the rain s

,and about S eptember -O ctober the plant i s p l eu

tiful and vigorous,thus forming ample food supply fo r immense

numbers of the larvae . Thei r numbers increase so rapi dly andto such an extent that the femal e s , prompted by some n aturalins tinct

,migrate , fol low ed by male s, and seek pastu res new

w hereon to deposi t thei r eggs . Thus the bi -annual migrations eems to ari se from the abundance of food plan t avai labl e, w hichis greatest sho rtly before the No vember fli ght take s place ,gradual ly dimini shing as the dry w eather approaches .

The species C a top s i lia chiefly concerned in thes e fl ights areC a tap s ilia p oinona and its variety cr oca le, and C . pyr anthe withi ts varieti e s gnoma , i lea ,

and chryseis . C . p oniona w as mostpredominant, but I d id not secu re a suffic ien t number d uringthe fligh t to ascertain which sex was most abundan t . In th ecase of C . p yranthe the male s appeared to predomi nate du ringthe November fl ight

,for o ut of 100spec imen s secured in one

day , 87per cent . w ere rnales,although tow ards the end of the fl ightth e remain ing s tragglers w ere almost enti re ly femal e s . In apre vi ous captu re du ring a February fl ight in C o lombo (referredto by Manders) 75per cen t . were femal es .

O SWIN S . WIC KWAR .

C o lombo,January 20, 1906.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

220 S PO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

recogni zed in C ey lon . A l ong seri es of thi s species was taken inthe moth traps .In the last number of the Journal of the Bombay Nat . Hist .

S oc . (vol . X VI.,No . 4, p . 747) i s a note by C apt . Nangle, descr ib

ing an attack by fl ies upon fly ing Termi tes in Indi a . A similaroccurrence w as notice d one night at Telu l l a, w hen a fl igh t ofwinged Termites invaded the tent of my moth trap . Immediately foll ow ing the “ White Ants came a number of Muscidfl i es whi ch proceeded to pounce upon them . They did notattempt to carry aw ay their prey, but commenced to feed uponthem there and then

,pierc ing thei r helpl ess vi ctims betw een the

segmen ts o f the abdomen . Specimens of this fly have been sentto E urope for determination .

Beating for moths,in the day time

,w as made difficu lt by the

presence of enormous numbers of the common Noctu i d Amynaselenamp ha ,

w hich rose in clouds w henever the undergrowthw as disturbed . We saw several trees s tripped of their leaves bythe larvae of thi s moth . Fo rtunately thi s species d id not fly atnight or— at any rate— respected our moth traps .O ur traps were pitched

,one night

,on the bund of the Telul l a

tank . Behind us was an abandoned paddy field . As soon as thelamp s were l ighted my riads of frogs j oined in a deafeningchorus w hi ch soon became so intol erabl e that w e had to stop ourears with cotton w ool .Repti l es were not much in evidence . Bu t w e su rpri sed a large

specimen of Dendrop his p ictus sw al lowing a ful l -grow n l izard(C a lotes vers icolor ) . Younger examples of thi s snake are sai d tofeed upon grasshoppers . A fine example of the l arge roughtai l ed snake U r op eltis gr andis

— w as pick ed up on the cart roadwhere i t was engaged in extract ing grubs from a pat of cowdung .

E . E RNE ST G RE E N .

6. O n the Sp ecies of L eaf Insects (Phylli inae) occur r ing in

C ey lon .- M r . W . F . Kirby , in his re cen tly issued S ynonymic

C atalogu e of O rthopte ra,

”c red i t s C eyl on w i th three dis tinc t

species of thi s subfami ly of Pha smidce. These are,— Pu lchr z

‘

_

phy lliumaga thyr sus , Gray Pu lchr ip hy llium crur ifolium, S erv .,

and Phylli um a thanysus , Wes tw .

I have recently submitted specimens of ou r common er spec i esto Mr . Kirby, for an authentic determination . There has hi thertobeen considerabl e confusion in the nomenclature the commonestC eyl on speci es hav ing been variously referred to under the names

F'

lG . 1— d PU L C H RIPH Y L L IU M C RU RIFO L IU M . b P H Y L L IU M AT H ANYS U S

X t

T o face 19 . 220

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

222 S PO L IA Z E YL AN IC A .

individuals reach matur i ty w i thout having thi s part of the l imbmo re or less extensively n i bbled aw ay by thei r comrades in capt iv ity . C an this accidental erosion have l ed to the supposeddistinction of the sp ecies The sl ender ind ivid ual s in the low erright hand corner of the figure (4) are the male s , w hich havefunctional w ings and very smal l w ing-covers

,the reverse being

the case w i th the femal e insects .There i s a w el l marked difference in the eggs of crur ifolium

and a thanysus . That of the former has five w inged lateral ridgesand a prominent Spiked cap . The egg of a tha nysus i s very muchsmal l er, has on ly a smal l tubercl e on the cap , and the lateral r idgesare low and incon spi cuous, mere ly giving to the eggs a sl ightlyangular appearance .In the accompanyi ng photograph

,the second and thi rd insects

in the middle row, Show s ign s of having been n ibbled by thei rcompani ons .

E . E RNE ST GRE EN .

7. A H a rbou r Worm and a B oxing C rab. - E ver since thev i si t of Professo r Haecke l to these Sho res in 1881 i t has beenrecognized that C olombo offers few inducements to bi ologi stswho cumber themselves abou t things of the sea . Neverthele ss, i ftime and opportuni ty al lowed , a great deal might be gl eanedfrom the outerZreaches of the C olombo Harbour ; and the Northe rnArmof the Breakwater i s already attracting a host of creatures fromthe surrounding depths . Amongst these there comes occasional lya remarkably fine Anne l id w orm belonging to the family Amphinomidae. Its name is C hloe'ia flava (Pal las) ; i t i s particularlycharacteri sti c of the Indian O cean and has been know n tona turali sts for nearly a century and a half . I t attain s a l ength ofnearly five inches or more w hen fu l ly extended and an inc lusivebreadth of abou t one inch . The number of segments i s l imi ted

,

not exceeding forty,and this number i s on ly reached in the

ful ly mature condi tion . Smal l er and therefore younger ind ividuals have fewer segments

,the number of the l atter being

roughly correlated with the size ; thus examples about hal f tothree-quarters of an inch in length wi l l have 24—26 segments .The head region i s characteri zed by the presence of a pecul iaro rgan cal l ed the caruncle

,w hi ch stretches back over several

o f the an teri or segments . Behind thi s region, each segment

J A A 4

Fa

( G 4 E G G S,LARV/E , NY M P H ,

AND ADU L T té AND SH O P FU L C H RIPH Y L L IU M c aus us o u uw r

[ T o face p 2 2 2 .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

224 S PO L IA Z E Y L AN IC A .

preserved Specimens i t often hap pens that most of the setae arelo st they are deci duous

,those of the dorsal tu ft being provided

w ith recurved barbs by w hi ch they remain attached to fo reignbodies w hen touched or handled . The functi on of the setae i stherefore partly defensive , bu t during what may be cal l ed thesw arming period the tufts of setae act as paddles or sw immerets

,

w orking to and fro in succession l ike the legs of a centipede,

accompany ing the sway ing movements o f the body w hen sw imming . It is not common to O btain ful l - sized specimens of thi sw orm, and the three w hich the Muse um has acquired in recentyears have been kindly sent by Mr . A . D . Prouse from theHarbour Works

,one in March

,1904

, another in January , 1905,and a third in January , 1906.

The smal l c rab w hich I have cal l ed the Boxing C rab was takenby me last November at Weligama from under a rock closeto the shore at the northern end of the bay . It affords a singularand by no means w i dely know n exampl e of symbios is or commensali sm betw een a crab and sea-anemones or Actin ians . Ineach claw the crab hol ds a smal l white sea- anemone in ful l

activ i ty , tentacl es expanded, w hich i t presents w i th great sci encein true boxing atti tude to the observer , w hen al armed . It isimpossibl e to exaggerate the singu lari ty of the action . Theground col our of the crab i s w hitish wi th a del icate rosea te flushin the anterior hal f of the carapace , and a characteri stic patternformed by black i sh l ines ; there are tufts of bri stles behindthe frontal margin and on the surface of the carapace .I forwarded a sketch of the l iving crab and its two guests to the

Indian Museum, C alcu tta, and w a s favoured by Maj or A . Alcock,

with the name of the crab and references to the l iteraturedealing w i th i t . I t is not men t ioned in Dr . J . G . de Man’sC rustacea of the Mergui Archipe lago (Journ . L inn . S oc . , L ondon ,

NO T E S .

XXII .,

nor in the same author ’s work on the C rustac eaof the Malay Archipe lago (Decapoden des Indischen Archipel s,

no r in Dr . J . R . Henderson’s C ontributi on to Ind ianC arcinology (Tran s . L inn . S oc .

,L ondon

,vol. V .

,part 10,

It w as described from Mauritiu s under the name M elia tressela ta

by H . Milne E dw ards in 1834 (Hist . Nat . C rust , Paris , vol . I. ,

p . 431, pl . 18, f . 8) and figured though without the actinians . Itscorrect name is M elia tessella ta (L atre i l l e) and a capital figure ofi t i s given by L . A . B orradai le in hi s Rep ort on the MarineC rustacean s in S tanley Gardiner ’s Fauna and Geography of theMald ive and L accadive A rchipelagoes

,vol . I .

,C ambridge

, 1903,p . 249 .

B orradai le places this crab in the subfami ly M en ipp inae of thefamily X an th idae and points out that its habi t of holding actin iansw as noted in 1880by Richter in Mohine’ Meeresfauna

,Mauri ti us

,

but s ince then the fact has been generally overl ook ed .

Probably both crab and actinians benefit by the associati on,the

actinians enj oy ing an increased mobi l i ty and the crab shel teringand defending itsel f with the l iving gl oves w i th w hich it i sprovi ded ; al l sea-anemones, coral po lyp s, hydro id polyps, andmedusae possess microscopi c weapon s of ofience cal l ed urticatingor stinging threads

,and no doubt these come into play in this case

when occasion requ ire s i t,al though I w as unable to detect their

presence by the sense of touch . O n thi s subj ect I may quote fromMr . B orradai le’

s work p . He says The obj ect of th ishabi t is not known , bu t it i s certain ly a voluntary act on th e partof the crab

,for the actin ian i s not attached

,b ut held between the

fingers of the M elia, and, if it be tak en away, wil l be again se ized .

U sual ly there is an anemone in each hand,but sometimes one or

both hands are empty. The actin ians,which are grasped firmly

round the middle below the tentac le s,may be usefu l

,by means of

the ir stinging cel ls,e i ther for defence or to fi sh for food with ,

or perhaps for both purposes . The chel ipeds are sl ender andfeeble, i l l - su i ted for defence, bu t at the same time mobi le andw e l l adapted to w ie ld the anemones they carry

,and

,i f the crab be

threatened, i t wi l l s tretch ou t i ts arms tow ards the aggressor,as

though i t would ward him offw i th the di sagreeabl e obstacles i tthus presen ts to his attack .

”

The crab from Weligama is smal l,measuring on ly 10mm .

inwidth betw een the lateral angles of the carapace ; the act iniansare retained in position in the preserved s tate

,bu t the ground

col our has darkened to a reddish brow n .

Final ly , i t must be mentioned that tw o o ther spemes ofM elia

have been recorded from these seas by Maj or Alcock,namely

,M .

2 26 S PO L IA ZE Y L AN IC A .

coes tifer (J . A . S . Bengal , vol. LXVII . , p t . 2 , 1898 , p . 231) and M .

pugil

I desire to express my thanks to Maj or Al cock for hi s kindnessin referring me to the above sources of information concern ing

A . WIL L E Y .

C o l ombo,January 23

,1906.

8 . S tr idu la tion of G ongy lus gongy lodes .—During a recent

vi si t (December ) to Anuradhapura as I was d escendi ng the bundof Tissa tank behind Isurumuniya , I e spied a dark brownMantid upon a low green shrub

,and upon bending close r found

that i t w as a ma l e G ongylus . Its acti ons upon being alarmed bymy approach arrested my attention . I ts colour and generalappearance w ere those of a brow n shrivel l ed l eaf

,b u t i t appeared

to be intent upon a foraging expedition w i th no idea of mimic ryor of any conformi ty to i ts su rroundings . The under surface of

the flattened prothorax had a du l l neutral t int paler in the centre,

but no t gl i s tening nor in any way attractive . S uch mimicry andprotective col oration as carnivo rous an imal s— ofwhich C ongylus i s one— frequently exhibi t appear to be closely correlated withthei r infin i te capacity for ly ing mo tionl ess in w ait for passingp rey .

As I drew near to the Mantid several times in successi on ,on each occasion i t dressed i tse lffor the fray, squaring the elbowsof i ts forel imbs near ly at a right angle to the body as sho wn inthe upper figure of the second plate i l l us trating thi s speciesin Sp olia Z ey lan ica ,

part VI I I . (vol . 1905, p age 198 . Thealert defensive att i tude w hich i t assumed w as evi dently i ntendedto be terri fy ing in the sense in which this term has become famil iar to students of mimicry

,and the terrify ing effec t w as enhanced

by a loud rasping sound which i t p roduced by rubbing theborders of i ts hind femora against the rim of the fo rewings .The mal e i s di stingu ished from the female by greater sl ender

ness and leng th of body and w ings,by the smal l er si ze of

the fol iaceous ex ii ans ions of p rothorax and l imbs , and above allby the feathery antennae

,these be ing hair - l ike i n the female .

T he ou te r free border ofeach fo re w ing is thickened by a d istinctchitinou s rim w hich i s fine ly serrate . In the region of the hindfemur

,on each sid e

,the bo rder of the w ing i s s l ightly concave .

al l owing free play to the thigh under o rd inary ci rcumstances .The femur i tsel f i s smooth

,car ry ing a few minute hai rs but

w ithou t any rough edge .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

228 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

fatal,thei r determinati on not onlv stands in constant requ es t .

but may even assume a medico- l egal or stati stical importance .

In the Vital S tatistics i ssued by the Regi strar- G eneral of C eylonfor the year 1903, the number of deaths attributed to snake -bi teduring that year amounted to 217, and the average from 1898 to1902 i s given as 198 . In 1904 the number of deaths from snakebite w as 174, and the average from 1898 to 1903, 2012 ,

or inround numbers 200per annum .

In the Ind ian E mpire,w hich i s roughly about seventy times as

l arge as C eyl on both in area and population , the re‘ i s onlya sl ightly greater proportion of d eaths attr ibuted to snake -bi teannual ly namely

,about

I bel i eve i t rare ly happens that the ofiendingrepti l e i s caughtand identified

,so that statistical tabl es give li ttl e or no i nforma

tion concerning the number of victims c l aimed by difl eren tspecies of poisonous snakes .L ast S eptember a Malay woman l iving in C olombo was bi tten

by a snake during the night whil e she was asl eep . S he musthave unconsciously al armed the snake in some way

,other

w i se i t woul d not have bit ten her . A veda r a la was cal led in,but

the woman w as beyond he lp , and died within twe lve hours .The snake had been caught and ki l l ed at the time of the accidentand was subsequently sent

‘

to the Museum by the C oroner foridentification . It proved to be a dangerou s poisonou s snake ofthe kind cal l ed “ bungarum or, i n Nor thern India, krai t

,

” inS inhalese karawala .

”

Two months l ater, in November another snake was sentto me from M ul lai ttivu by Mr . R . A . G . Festing, with theinformati on that i t had bitten and ki l l ed a w oman two nightspreviously . Th i s time the snake w as a harmless one and verycommon in C eyl on , L ycodon aulicu s , often call ed karawala o r

tel-karawala through confusion with B unga r us , since i tresembles the latter very str ikingly and may be said to mimic it .I t was general ly bel i eved that the v ict im in this case had died 01fright, since it appeared from the evi dence at the inquest that shehad been bitten

,tw elve smal l punctures be ing visi bl e on the

right forearm .

B unga rus may be recogn ized at once by the ci rcumstance thatthe median dorsal o r vertebral scal es are much enlarged ; inL ycodon the scales are equal . I t is, how ever, partly ow ing to theextraordinary paral lel series of col our variati ons in poisonou s andharmless snakes

,giving the impression of a natural mimicry

,that.

so much con fusi on exi sts w i th regard to the vernacu l ar names inthi s country . There are al so o ther sources of confusi on . The

NO T E S . 2 29

l ate Mr . Wil l iam Ferguson, pointed out in that thecommon Pi t-vi per, wel l know n here as the kunukatuwa

,

” waso riginally figured by Dr . Davey as the karaw ala

,

” and the lattererroneous name has adhered to it in E ngli sh w ri tings eversince .

There are three or four k inds of so-cal led “ karawala inC eyl on , namely , the “ dunu-karawala,” B unga rus cey lon icus, themal -karaw ala or pol -mal -karawala,” C hrysop elea orna ta andthe mudu -karawala

,

”

C oluber helena . The expression te lkaraw ala ” i s sometimes appl ied indifl erently to varietie s ofB unga rus cey lonicus and L ycodon au licus ,

’

rin al lusion to the oi ll ike gloss of the scal es . The term ma' pi la belongs to certainsnakes which have a suSp ic ious l ook bu t are no t dangerous ,namely, species of the genus D ip sa s (cf. Sp al. Z eyl. , vol . I ., partI I I . , 1903, pp . 81

The most convincing evidence of mimicry as between harmlessand poisonous snakes i s affo rded by the Specimens of a whiteringed var iety of B unga rus cey lonicus and the white- r i ngedspecie s of L ycodon,

L . car ina tus,w hich have been kept i n the

same j ar in the Museum . The similar i ty betw een these twoforms was remarked upon in 1877by Mr . Wil l iam Fergu son . Tothe unaided eye the re semblance i s qu ite deceptive

,but with a

l ens i t w i l l be seen at once that the scal es of the L ycodonca r ina tus are keel ed, besides being equal .Precise ly analogous examples of mimicry are known to occur

among the so -cal led coral -snakes of Brazi l , of w hich the re are fourgenera, one (E laps) poisonous, a second suspi cious , the two othersharmless . The colour i s described as a rich red with black andyel l ow transverse bands

,

” and the specie s of these snakesinhabiting the same districts are so l ike each o ther that onlya natural i st coul d distingu i sh the h armless from the poisonouskinds (cf. Darwin, Descent of Man, S econd E di tion , p .

The accompanying schedul e , which is based primarily uponMr . B oulenger ’

s Monograph , i s intended to serve as a gu ide to thei dentification of a secti on of the snakes of C ey l on . It i s completeso far as i t goes

,incl uding as i t does al l the members of the three

subfamil ies of C olubridae menti oned, namely , the C ol ubrinae,D ip sadinae, and E l ap inae, which are known to occur in C ey lon .

The sea- snakes (which are poi sonous) and two other smal l subfamil i es of water-snakes (Acrochordinae and Homalop s inae)

Wm. Ferguson , R ep tile Fauna of C eylon . L et ter on a co llectionsent to the C o lombo M useum. C o lombo , 1877(printed by the G o vernmen tPrinter ) .T L ycodon auli cus is a lso ca lled alu-

polonga a t tunes .

230 S PO L IA Z E YL AN IC A .

are omi tted . The earth—snakes ( “ depat-naya the Python o r

rock-snake pimbura and the Vipers are no t

i nc luded w i thin the Scop e of the schedul e .

T w o points may be noted in connec tion w i th the gu i dingcharacters w hich I have se le cted in the index. All the specie smenti oned have l ess than thir ty rows of S cales round the body(excluding the ventral shiel ds) and in al l cases the general cond i tion of the head -Shie lds i s normal and remarkably constant onthe w hole . S een from above there is a ro stral sh ield in fron t(usuall y barely vi sibl e in dorsal v i ew) fol l owed by a pai r ofinternasal shi elds between the nostri l s, then a pair of praefrontals,a. median frontal betw een tw o supraoculars and a pair of parie tal sbehind . T he shi el ds w hich appear in si de vi ew of the head arel ess constant, the most important feature being the presence o r

absence of a loreal shield between the praeocular and the nasal ,thi s being one great di sti nction between L ycodon and B un

ga rus .

When once a character has been observed al l the Species w hichare shown by the index not to possess thi s character are excluded ,and thu s by continuing the process of exc lu sion at l east the genusof the specimen can be fixed with certain ty, and thi s i s enough forpractical purposes .

A . S ide V i ew 01 head O f L ycodon au licu s ; l . L o roa l shi eld , L". N inth

upp er labia l.

B . S ide V i ew o f head of B unga rus ceylonicus s li o wmg absence oflo real

s hi eld ; L7. S even th upper labia l.

The speci es w hich O ffers the mo s t genera l ized characters is No .

XI I . , Polyodontop his s ubp uncta tus , a harmles s snake w h ich may

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

232 SPO L I A ZE YL ANIC A .

karaw a la are bel ieved to travel in flocks ofseven , and w hen one

i s k i l l ed and burnt the smoke i s supposed to keep away the o thers ix. This incineration of snakes is an actual and defini te practi cein C ey lon and the burning of a pol -mal -karawal a” (C hrysopeleaorna ta ) under the conditions indicated has been witnessed by myfriend M r . James Parsons of the Mineral ogi cal Su rvey , as he hasbeen good enough to inform me .

Ano ther difficulty in connection w ith the casual i dent ificat ionofsnakes i s more apt to trouble those who know something aboutsnakes to begin w i th than those to whom they are a ter ra incognim. I refer to the occasional capture of snakes of unusual s izebelonging to w e l l ~known Species . A case i n poin t has quiterecently occurred to me as concerning the snake Asp idur a cap ii .

The specimen s of Asp idma

a which I have seen are s l ender snakesof rather smal l size, a length of two fee t being excep ti onal andthe head is long and taper ing (compare thi s Journal , vol . I I . ,part VI I . , plate facing p .

The other day (January , a bulky snake was sent to theMuseum from Avisaw ella by Mr . Wil liam Ferguson

,J r . , which

severely tested the meri ts of my schedule . The last genus towhich it might belong seemed to be A sp idura . I t had a singl ein ternasal

,short frontal , no praeocular, 6 upper l abial s

,17

smooth scal es round the middl e of the body, 137ventral shie ldsmott led with the dark ground colour, anal entire , 20unpairedcaudals in short , i t was a female example of Asp idura cap iz

'

. Itssize however

,and therewith i ts general appearance , was remark

abl e ; the length , as nearly as i t could be measured in the coil edconditi on in which the snake had been preserved and hardened ,amounted to rather more than 25i nches, of which the tail onlyoccupied two inches ; the girth was as much as 33inches, giving anappearance of great bulk ; the head was widest in the occipi talregion

,close upon one inch across and greatly flattened, the smal l

eye s occupy ing a dorsal position and the snout rapidly tap ering infront of the eyes . In the Fauna of Bri tish India, Mr . B oulengergives the fol lowing dimens ions of A . cop ii : Total l ength 165i nches

,tai l 2 8 , these figures probably relating to a male .

U pon opening the snake now under consideration , the ovarie sproved to be ful l of l arge eggs, thre e -quarters of an inch l ong byabout half an inch wide

,seven in the left ovary , fourteen in the

r ight . From what has been said i t wi l l be clear that thi s i s quite

T he praeocular shields are shown in the text-figures A and B . Asp idm'

a

cop i i and D ruwmwndha yi are the only C olubrine snakes in C eylon which have nop raeocula r .

a noteworthy individual .

NO T E S .

I n Mr . H aly’

s Report on the Repti l es .&c . , in the C olombo Museum (1891) A cop ti i s recorded from Dik

oya and Balangoda and i s said to range between and

S C H E DUL E or T H E T E RRE ST RIAL C O L U B RIDZE or C EYL O N .

feet .

Names .

A .- O olubrina> .

I . Aspidura brachyorrhos B 342

II . copii B 343

III. guenther i B 344

IV . trachyprocta B 345V . drummondhayi B .S .Z .

VI . H aplocercus ceylonensis B 346VII. L ycodon striatus B 347VIII . aulicus B 35I

IX . carinatus B 356X . H ydrophobus nympha B 357X I . gracilis B 358X II . Polyodontophis subpunctatus B 364X III. Ablabes calamar ia B 367X IV . S imotes arnensis B 380X V . O ligodon temp letoniiX VI. subli neatusX VII . subgriseus 3394

X VIII . Zamenis mucosus B 397X I X . B 402X X . C oluber helena B 406

X X I. Dendrophis p i ctus R4I7XX II . bifrenali s B 419

X X III . caudo lineatus B 420X X IV . T ropidono tus ceylo

nensis E 43U

X X V. stolatus B 434

X X VI . asperr imus B 189 1

X X VII . plumbicolor B 439

X X VIII . H elicops schistosus B 440

B .— Dip sad

fince .

XXIX . Dipsas barnesi i B 445X X X . ceylonensis B 446X X X I . forstenii 13451X XX II . Dryophis mycteriz ans B 46]X X X III. pulverulentus B 462

X X X IV . C hryso pelea o rnata 13463

C .

—E lap inw .

X X X V . C allophis tr imacula

tus B 474X X X VI. B ungarus ceylonicus R48 I

X X X VII. coeruleus B 482

X X X VIII. Naia tr ipudians B 485

B 39 1

B 392

Y

Remarks .

H armles s .

C eylon H ill- snakes,

sometimesbrightly co loured .

C eylon G round-snake .

S triped G round -snake . Ahara

kukka .

Amphibious G round-snake ,D iya-

polonga .

”

Viperine G round- snake .

F reshwater snake.

N ore-

p oi sonou s .

Nocturnal T ree- snakes,

“M ap i la

G reenWhip- snake,E hetulla .

B rown Whip - snake,

“ H ena

kandayaf’

Florid T ree- snake,karawala ”

Pol-mal

P ois onou s .

DwarfB ungarumC eylon B ungarum,karawala .

”

Indian Krait (Jaffna) .

C obra .

Dunu

NO T E .

—Nos . VIII . and X X V . are the commonest snakes in C eylon nextin abundance is X X VI . . and then fo llow the T ree- snakes and Whi p - snakes .

S triated Wolf-snake,Peradeniya .

B ungalow Wolf-snake, T el

karawala .

”

White- ringed Wolf- snake .

Jaffua,Anuradhapura .

C eylon .

”

C ollared Sand- snake .

Rare.

B lack-banded snake.

Paucidentate Dwarf snakes .

Rat - snake, G arandiya .

Jaffua .

O cellated L and- snake, M udu

karawala .

”

T ree- snakes,H aldanda .

234 S PO L IA Z E Y L AN IC A .

INDE X .

N .B .

— T he following common characters may be regarded as occurringnormally since they are presented w ith great frequency and are thereforeno t specially no ted in the index they are to be presumed unless o therw i se

S tated(a ) Anal S hield divided ; (6) H ead no t clearly di stinct from neck ; (0)

Internasals paired ; (d) L oreal single, separated from eye ; ( a) Praeoculars ingle (f) Pupil round (g) R ostra l barely visable from above (Ia) S calesequa l and smooth ( z) S ubcaudals paired .

Anal shield entire i to v .

,vi ix .

,xi . , Praeocular absent

,i i .

,v

,

xx . Praeoculars two,xx1v .

,xxvi .

,xxxi i

xxxm.

Praeoculars three. xxix .

Praeocnlars variable ( 1 or 2 ) x xxx.

H ead distinct fromneck . x. ,x1 xviii .

,

xix .,xx .

,xx1 to xxiii .

,xxiv to Pup i l horiz onta l, xxxii , , xxxi i i

xxvii . xxix to xxxi,xxxii . , Pup il vertical, vn to ix .

,x_,

X ) xx1x .

xxxiii xxxiv xxxvii i . to xxxi .

Rostrali' large, xiv.,xv to xvii .

Internasal s ingle , i to v V, xxviii.

R o st i al produced . xxxn .,xxxm.

L abials‘t

s ix . i to V . ,xxxv .

L abials seven. vi , . x . ,x1.

,xm. , x1v . ,

xv

to xvii,xxvii .

,xxxvi .

,xxxvii .

,

xxxvn i .

L abials eight . vii . , xviii xix . xxivxxv xxix , xxx .

,xxxii . , xxx iii .

L abials nine . viii .,ix .

,xii . , (9 xx

xxi . (9 xxii . , xxiii, ( 8xxvi . ,xxviii . , (8—9 )

L abials indefinite,xxxi (8—11)

L oreal absent,i to v .

,vi . , xxx11.

,

xxxiii . . xxxv,

xxxvi . , xxxvii .,

xxxvn i .

L oreal entering the eye. x . xi. xv

L o reals tw o,xxii .

L orea ls three,X V‘“ Subcaudal shields i n S ingle row

,i to

iv.,vi . . ix .

Subocular present , xvni . , xix .

,xxxii

xxxi i i .

M ax illary teeth equal, i to V .

,

vi ( 10) xii (40) to

xxm.

M axillary teeth enlarged in front,

vii to ix .

M axfllary teeth enlarged beh ind,x .

,

xi . , xu'

xv‘

to xvn .

,xviii

,xix

,

xx1v to xxvi i xxviii .M axillary teeth fanged behind,

xxixto xxxi . . xxxii .

,xxxi i i xxxiv .

M axillary teeth fanged in front,

xxxv .

,xxxv i xxxvn xxxvm.

C ol ombo . Janua ry 23, 1906. A . WIL L EY .

Upper labials or shields bordering the upper lip

i' T he ro stral sh ield covers the fi ont ofthe snou t .I In the young ra t - snake the keel ing of the s ca les may be absent .

S cales in 13rows,x .

,xx111.

, .xxxv

S cales m 15row s,i v .

, xiii ., .xv

,

xvi .,

xvii,xxi . , xxi i . , xxxii .

xxxn i,xxxvn

,xxxvfi

Scales in 17row s,i . v1 v1i .

,

v111. x1v . xv111.,xxx1v

S cales in 19 row s,ix .

,xxiv xxv

xxvi xxviii .,xxix.

Scales in 19 or 21 row s,xxx .

S cales in 2 1 or 23rows,xix.

S cales in 23to 27 row s,xx

xxxviii .S cales in 25to 29 rows

,xxxi .

S cales keeled,vi .

,ix .

, xxiv xxv

xxvi .,xxv11.

,xxviii .

S cales keeled in posterior part ofbodv only . ii iv v . ,

xv11i . i

xxvn

Vent i al sh1elds keeled latera lly x .

,x1. ,

xxi .

Ventra l shields w ith dai k spots aa tthe s ides . x1i . . xxv . xxx . , xxxiv .

Ventral shlelds W i th da rk spo ts alongsides and m1ddle

,xv . . xv i .

Vertebral scales enlarged xxi to

xxxi i xxxiii .,xxxvi

xxxvh .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

NO T E S .235

10. Vivip a r i‘

ty of C ap lzotz'

s ceylanica and O vip am'

ty of C era

topkara stodda r ti i .— C ophotis and O er a top hor a are two genera ofAgamoid li zards containing specie s w hich are pecul iar to C ey lonf‘

C op kotz'

s cey lam’

ca and C era tophom s todda r tz’

z’ are found in the

distri cts of Nuwara E l iya ft . ) and Hakgala f t .) theformer specie s i s d istinguished by the possession of a prehensi l etail , the latter by its rostral appendage (cf. Sp olia Zeyl. , part I. ,opposi te p . Another species belonging to the same family(Agamidae), also pecul iar to C ey lon, i s common at Hakgala on ways ide bushes this i s C a lotes nigm

'

labr is .

The other fami l i e s of l i zards w hich are represented in C eylona re the G eckonidee, Varanidae, S cincidae, and C hameleodontidae.

Here I am only concerned with the Agamidae and S cincidae .I t i s wel l known that most of the Agamoid li zards are oviparous,

lay ing thei r eggs in smal l hol es in the ground . The occurrence ofvivipari ty or ovovivipari ty , where the eggs undergo their development w i thin the oviducts so that the young are born active withthe characters of the parent , is both rare and excepti onal amongAgamoids . The only case noted in the Fauna of Br i t ish India,&c . ,

of a v iviparous Agamoid is that of the genus Phrynocepha lu s, notfound i n C eylon (0p . cit B oulenger , Rept i l es and Batrachians,p .

During a recent vi si t to Hakgala,where I occupied the Botanical

L aboratory by kind permissi on of Dr . J . C . Will is,at the end of

January and beginning of February , I ascertained that the treedw el l ing l i zard

, 0019710113ceylam'

ca,is viviparous . At the preper

season the ripe eggs pass i nto the oviducts and there undergo theirdevelopment wi thout any shel l be ing formed

,so that the hal f

fo rmed embryo is cl ear ly vi sibl e through the thin transparentwal l of the oviduc t . O ne femal e showed three w hiti sh embryoslyi ng up on the yolk in the r ight oviduct and two in the

left, al l in the same stage of development ; a second had twoadvanced embryos in each oviduct

,with scales and dark p igment

appearing .

The size of the eggs , 13mm . in major diameter,causes the wal l

of the oviduct to stre tch and to invest each egg c losely . Afterremoval of an egg from the ovi duct

,the embryo with the yolk is

sti l l surrounded by three membrane s,which I interpret as fol lows

from the examination of flat preparati ons a very thin,trans~

l ucent, finely fibrou s , non- cellu lar,vite l l ine membrane ; (2 ) an

equal lythin and transparent chori onic membrane which i s cel lul ar

A11species of Cera topkora are endemic . Cop kotis has another species inSumatra (B oulenger) .

2 1

‘

236 SPO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

but non -vascu lar thi s membrane, w hich I tak e to be the epidermaltract of the outer amn ion

,consists of a pavement- ep ithel ium in

which the cel l -boundaries , vesicu lar nucl ei and nucleol i are cl ear lyvi sible without staining (3) a thi cker, though sti l l t ransparent .vascu l ar al lantoic membrane traversed by blood -vessel s wh ichgive ri se to dense capi l lary networks over the surface of the egg .

From the above descri ption i t i s eviden t that,from a repti l ian

standpoint,the v ivipar i ty of C op/tolls i s very complete . In this

connection it may be noted that the wal l of the ovi duct i s al sowel l - suppl ied with blood -vessel s

,a large trunk proceeding al ong

t he mesometric l ine . I t seems almost certain that gaseous andprobably al so l iquid transfu sion from parent to embryo takes placethrough the thin interveni ng membranes . It i s no t always easyto suggest an explanation for the excepti onal o ccurrence ofvivi pari ty in groups of no rmal ly oviparous animal s . I t seems todepend upon various conditi on s w hich may react upon theorganism separately or in combination . O f these condit ion s themost obvious are habits and habi tat (w hether arboreal, desertico leus

,subterranean) , temperature and moisture . There are

E mbryo of C opho tz’

s ceylanz’

c o ly ing in a d ila ta tion of the ov iduct . T he

do tted p ortion indica tes the yolk . At ea ch S lde of the figure is the cut endof the oviduct .

several paral l el examples w hich may help to throw l ight on thissubj ect. C ophotz

’

s i s arboreal as shown bionomical ly by its actualoccurrence as w el l as structural ly by i ts prehensi l e tail

,but less so

than the C hameleon w hich has modified hands and feet in additionto i ts prehensil e tai l . Nevertheless most C hameleons lay eggs

,an

exception being affo rded by C hameleon p umi lus, the DwarfC hameleon of S outh Africa w hich is ovoviviparous . This speciesi s described by Dr . Gadow (C ambridge Nat . Hist . Amphibia andRep ti l e s, 1901, p . 580) as re latively hardy

,being as a native of

S outh Africa, accu stomed to co ld n i ghts . ” In thi s respec t i t offersan analogy to C ep hotis cey la n ica ,

which ha s almost exactly thesame size as the S outh African C hamel eon

,namely

,5—6inches ,

and is accustomed to the cold nights of the upper montane zoneof C eyl on .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

238 S PO L IA ZE YL AN IC A .

11. Subs idence a t K o/cloilay on the E a s t C oa s t -« The vi l lage ofKokkutoduvay l ies on the narrow strip of l and w hich sep aratesKokki lay l agoon f rom the sea and i s some half a mil e f romthe latter . Across a smal l vi l lu f rom the vi l lage and right onthe sand s j ust above highw ate r mark , w here a very moderatenorth-east gal e w ould carry the w aves

,i s a large area contai ning

a deposi t of ancient po ttery debr is , undoubtedly the si te of an O ldsettl ement . This

,in con juncti on w i th an exi sting trad ition that

Kokkilay lagoon w as once a stretch ofpaddy fields, i s very strongevi dence of the l and having subsided .

The pottery i s O ld— how O ld i t i s impossible to say perhaps athousand years

,perhaps more . But the land hereabouts must

have al so r i sen and that long before the time O f the potters . Fo rthe coast i s strew n w i th fossi l s, sea- shel l s imbedded in sandstonewhich w as formed I suppose in a con sid erabl e depth of w ater .Thus at thi s l i ttl e v i l lage w e have evidence, natural and artificial ,of tw o al terations

,in opposi te di rection s , from the present level .

JO HN STIL L .

Anuradhapura, Apri l 19 , 1905.

12 . Associa tion of a cr ocodi le wi th a tor toise— E arly in March ,1905, I was at a vi l lage named Kanjuramo tai , a few miles south O fNedunkeni in the Mul lai ttivu Di stric t . Two O f the vi l lagersshow ed me a few ruins in the j ungle

,j us t by the edge of thei r

paddy fields and among them was an O ld well . Thi s had beendug out s ix or e ight years age, and then abandoned , afte r whichthe sides had col lapsed inw ard s l eaving a hol l ow about 10feetdeep

,c i rcu lar in shape

,and 12 o r 15 feet in diameter . I ts sides

are perpendicular save at thevery top w here they overhang, heldup by the mat ted roots of the undergrow th , so that the p lace i s aregu l ar trap .

111 the w el l the re are tw o captives,both w e l l known to the

vi l lagers : one a crocodi l e,about six feet long, the other a very

l arge mud torto ise (N icor ia tr ij aya ) . The vi l lagers aver that thec rocodi le got in during the rainy w eather three y ears ago and thatthe to rtoise has been there for s ix months . Nei ther can get food(except perhaps frogs) , neither can get out ; and in the dryw eathe r they must go w i thout wate r for months on end .

The turtl e has no fe ar of the crocod ile, but when stirred up wi l lw alk up to h i s snout . The crocodi le, which i s mi serably thin,resen ts being stirred up by hissing and snapping hi s j aws

,but

NO T E S .239

makes no attack on the tortoi se . T he vi l lagers say he is afraid of

being left alone if he eats the tortoise, but perhaps the shel l i s toomuch for him in hi s enfeebl ed state .

JO HN STIL L .

Anuradhapura , March, 1905.

13. D is tr ibu tion offlying squ ir rels in C eylon— The squirrel

cal l ed P teromys or a l w hich possesses a dermal parachute by meansof which i t can trave l thr ough the ai r for l imi ted di s tances, and onthis account i s alw ays cal led the fly ing squi rre l , be longs to theRodent fami ly S ciu ridae, w hich i s the squ irrel fami ly . Thi sinformation i s given in a condensed fo rm on p . 38 of this volume .An i l lust r ation show ing the animal at rest and in fl ight is given

on p . 361 of Blanford ’s M ammal ia (Fauna Bri t . Ind . ) Anotherspeci es call ed the Smal l Travancore Flying S quirrel , S ciur op

terns fuscicap i llus . i s recorded by Dr . Blanford from the hil l s ofC eyl on, but no information concerni ng i t i s avai labl e l ocally .

The Flying Fox (Pterop us medius) w hi ch , as stated on p . 38

( this volume) , i s a Fruit-eating Bat, occurs in the low-country,

forming camps dur ing the daytime at such places as Beruwala(B arberyn) , Henaratgoda, and Peradeniya . The fly ing squirrelalso occurs at Peradeniya

,w hence several examples have been sent

to the Museum by Mr . E . E . Green . This i s an exampl e of a l ocaloverlapping in distri bution

,since th e flyi ng squi rrel hardly

occurs below the elevati on of Peradeniya and the flying fox doesnot go much above i t . Mr . E dgar Turner has kindly w ritten tosay that he has never seen flying foxes in the ti p

-countryj ungles , but has O ften seen the “ fly ing squirrel s in the j unglesup to feet or more, particularlv in the Hewaheta jungles byRookwood estate .

E d . S . Z.

E ND or VO L UM E 111.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

IS SUE D B Y

TH E OL OM B O MU SE M,

C E Y L O N .

VO L U M E III.

C O L O M B O

G . J . SKE E N,G O VE RNM E NT PRINT E R,

C E Y L O N .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

l0 PAG E

Recent M arine C lays at K uchaveli,C eylon. A . K . C ooma

raswamyC ontributions to the G eology ofC eylon . A . K . C oomaraswamy .

S nake lore. C .

Snakes and Fowls . C . DriebergM o ths at sea . T . B ambrigge Fletcher

PART X II.

— APRIL,1906.

Doflein,F .

T ermite T rufli esC ameron, P .

Description of a new species of Op ius from C eylonNo tes .1. H istoric T rees . J . P . L ewis2 . T he M oormen’

s Weapon . J . P . L ew is3. S corp ion stings . A , K . C oomaraswamy4. Flight ofwhite and yellow B utterflies . O . S , Wickwar5. Notes by the Way .

,E . E . G reen

6. O n the Species of L eaf Insects occurrlng in C eylon. E . E .

G reen

7. A H arbour Worm and a B oxing C rab. A . Willey8 . S tridulation of G ongylus gongylocles . A . W illey9 . T errestrial C olubridae of C eylon . A . Willey10. Viviparity of C ophotis ceylonica . A . Willey11. Subsidence at K okkilay on the E ast C oas t . John Still12 . A ssocla t ion ofa C rocodile with a T ortoise . John S till13. D istribution ofFlying Squirrels in C eylon. E d. S . Z .

SPOLIA ZE YL

A Quarterly Publ ication de signed t othe Nat ural History of C eylon (excluai nformation O f res idents in the I sland

,

men t of S ci ence .I t wil l con tain Record s and C ontr ibut

Abstracts, and Revi ews, rel ating to the tknowledge O f the natural resources 1

Geology) Ofthe I sland and Of the surrou ‘

E ach Volume w i l l consist of four Parldepend on ci rcumstances , and the Parts yto the quarter days as possibl e .The Journal w i l l be i l l ustr ated by l ine

and l i thographic plates .Authors wi l l receive 25copies of thei r

50cop ies i f desi red .

S ubscription , R s . 5pe r annum single coC ommunications should be addressed t (

Museum .

C ompl ete Sets of th i s Journa l may a

Messrs . R . Friedlander and S ohn,11, C arlt

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

SPOLIA ZE YLANIC A .

A Quarterly Publ icat ion designed to p romote a knowledge O f

the Natural History of C eyl on (exclu sive Of Botany) for theinformation O f res idents in the Island, and al so for the advancement of S cience .I t wil l contain Record s and C ontributions, together wi th Notes,

Abstrac ts, and Reviews , rel ating to the economic and systemati cknow l edge of the natural resources (Zool ogy , Anthropol ogy ,Geology) of the Island a nd of the surrounding seas .E ach Vo l ume w i l l consist O f four Parts , the si ze ofwhich w i l l

depend O n c i rcumstances , and the Parts wil l be publ i shed as nearto the quarter days as possibl e .

The Journal wil l be i l l ustr ated by l ine -bl ocks,hal f- tone blocks

,

and l i thographic p lates .Authors wi l l rece ive 25cep ies of thei r contr i butions gratis , or

50copi es i f desired .

S ubscription,Rs . 5per annum single copies,Re. 12 5; post free .

C ommunications shoul d be addressed to the Di rector, C olombo

Museum .

C omplete sets Of th i s Journal may al so be obtained fromMess rs . R . Friedl ander and Sohn , C arlstrasse

,Ber l in

,N .W.

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

SPOLIA ZE YLANIC A .

A Quar terly Publ ication designed t o p romote a knowledge ofthe Natural History of C ey lon (exclu sive O f Botany) for theinformation O f residents in the Island, and also for the advancement O f S cience .I t w i l l contain Record s and C ontrmutions, toge ther wi th No te s

,

Abstrac ts, and Rev i ews , relating to the economic and systematicknow l edge Of the natural resources (Zoology , Anthropology ,Geology) of the Island and O f the Surrounding seas .E ach Volume w i l l consist O f four Parts, the si ze of w hi ch w i l l

depend O n ci rcumstances, and the Parts w i l l be publ ished as nearto the quarter days as possibl e .The Journal wil l be il l ustr ated by l ine -bl ocks

,hal f- tone blocks

,

and l i thographic p lates .Authors wi l l receive 25copi es of thei r contributions gratis, or

50cop ies i f des ired .

S ubscription, Rs . 5pe r annum single copi es,Re. post free

C ommunications shoul d be addressed to the Di rector, C olomboMuseum .

C omple te sets O f th i s Journal may al so be O btained fromMess rs . R . Friedlander and S ohn , l l , C arls trasse, Berl in ,

N .W . ;

from Mr . Bernard Quar i tch , 15, P iccad il ly, L ondon ; and fromMessrs . Wyman S ons

,L td .

,Fetter L ane

,L ondon , E .C .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

SPOL IA ZE YLANIC A .

A Quarterly Publ ication de signed to p romote a knowledge O f

the Natural History of C ey lon (exclu sive of Botany) for theinformation Of res idents in the Island

,and al so for the advance

ment of S ci ence .I t wil l contain Record s and C ontr ibutions, together with N otes,

Abstracts, and Reviews , rel ating to the economic and systemati cknowledge of the natural resources (Zoology, Anthropol ogy ,Topography

,Geology) Ofthe Isl and and of the surrounding seas .

E ach Volume w i l l consis t O f four Parts, the si ze O fwhich w i l ldepend on ci rcumstances, and the Parts wil l be publ i shed as nearto the quarter day s as possibl e .The Journal wil l be il l ustr ated by l ine-bl ocks

,hal f-tone blocks,

and l i thographic plates .Authors wi l l receive 25copies of thei r contri buti ons grati s , or

50cop ies if desi red .

S ubscription, R s . 5pe r annum single copies ,Re. post free .C ommunicati ons should be addressed to the D i rector, C olomboMuseum .

C omplete sets of thi s Journal may al so be O btained fromMessrs . R . Friedlander and S ohn

,11, C arls trasse, Berl in , N .W. ;

from Mr . Bernard Quar itch , 15, Piccad il l y, L ondon ; and fromMessrs . Wyman S ons

,L td . ,

Fetter L ane,L ondon

,E .C .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

SPOLIA ZE YLANICA .

A Quar te rly Publ ication des igned to p romote a knowledge O f

the Natural History of C eylon (exclu sive O f Botany) for theinformation of res idents in the Isl and, and also for the advancement of S ci ence .I t wi l l contain Record s and C ontribu tions

,together w i th Notes

,

Abstrac ts, and Reviews , rel ating to the economic and systematicknow l edge of the natural resources (Zoology, Anthropol ogy ,Topography

,Geo logy) of the Island and of the surrounding seas .

E ach Vo l ume w i l l consis t of four Parts, the si ze o f whi ch wil ldepend on ci rcumstances , and the Parts wil l be publ i shed as nearto the quarter days as possible .The Journal wil l be i l lustr ated by l ine -bl ocks

, hal f- ton e blocks,and l ithographic plates .Authors wi l l receive 25copies of thei r contributions gratis , or

50cop ies if des ired .

S ubscription, Rs . 5pe r annum ; s ingle copies ,Re . post free .C ommunications sho u l d be add ressed to the Di rector, C o lomboMuseum .

C omple te sets O f th i s Jou rnal may al s o be obtained fromMess rs . R . Friedlander and S ohn

, C arls trasse, Berl in , N .W . ;

from Mr . Be rnard Quaritch , 15, Piccadil l y, L ondon ; and fromMessrs . Wyman S ons

,L td.

,Fetter L ane

,L ondon

,E .C .