IB A V M C
SvATS.
OSSES
r LG3LA
i C I U S
T h k Serial, H(/l. Quad. i. N° 69, was omitted among the
animals of Malabar, where it is chiefly found. It inhabits the
ibrefts, and very feldom defcends from the trees, in which it
breeds; is fierce and untameable. The Malaban call it Ma-
npuie.
0TS Bandicote Rats are the peft of this country, as they are of all
India. It was firft del'cribed to me by my venerable coeval
Doctor Patrick RuJ/'cl, but I never could procure a fpecimen. It
is generally agreed that the Bandicote is at left five times the
weight of the brown ra t; and comparative with that kind it
has a lhorter and thicker tail; that its general form is much
thicker, and the back arched, fo that at firft fight it looks like a
little p ig ; it is lefs afitive and alert than the brown rat, is infinitely
niifchievous in gardens ; burrows under the houfes, and
will even undermine them, fo as to caufe them to fa ll; never
goes on board ihips. The Pa/inquin boys eat this kind, but will
refect the common rat.
,al T h e Oriental Moufe, Hijl. Quad. ii. N° 304. Shaw's Nat.
Mifcel. N° 73, is an elegant little fpecies, grey, marked length-
wavs with twelve lines o f fmall pearl-colored fpots.
OF Co- V ert lately hath appeared the Pla n t s of C oromandel,
publifhed by William Roxburgh, M. D. under the aufpices of
the Ea s t In d ia Company, in a manner worthy of it. An in-
ftruclive introduction is prefixed to the work by Dofitor Patrick
Rajfel. I felefit from this fplendid Flora a few of the trees,
which, from their magnitude, contribute to the ornament of
the country.
T h e firft is th e Gyrocarpus Jacquini, or Catamaran tree,
employed
employed to make rafts, which are employed inftead of boats
in the open road o f Madras, being a very light wood. The
fiiheries are carried on by hooks and lines faftenei to the fide1..
The r^ftmcn go in the greateft fwell far to lea, and return laden
with booty.
T h e Strychnos Potatorum, Lin. SuppL p. 148, or clearing nut, Tae.
is another native o f the mountains. Moft o f the waters o f India
are foul. The nut is rubbed on the infide o f the unglazed
veflels, which occafions a fubfidence o f all the water poured
into them: No provident foldier or officer travels without
them.
T he PeSIona Grandis, ‘Peek tree, fee vol. i. p. 81. o f this work, T a*.
grows plentifully about the Godavery.
BaJJia latifolia is a ufeful tree : the wood is hard: from the Ta*.
flowers is extrafifed an intoxicating liquor; from the feeds an
ordinary oil.
Dillenia Pentagyna, a native o f the vallies far above the Tae.
mountains.
Butea- frondofa exudes a gum rich in color as the ruby, is T a e .
aftringent, and promifes to be ufeful in medicine and in dying.
The lac iniefifs are often found on the fmaller branches.
Butea fuperba, a twining plant, unequalled in the fplendor Ta*.
and riehnefs of the flowers. Deicription o f colors omitted.
Sieve nil a urens, a vaft tree- Bark very aftringent. Tab.
Nauclea cordifolia, a beautiful wood like box, and v ery dole T aj.
grain ; capable o f being had in large pieces.
Profopis fpicigera bears a pod from fix to twelve inches long. t .>
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