woody nature o f the /country,;^l^so; ferqeiou^uaaimals would
have ,eydfy opportunity -to commit ^ e ip :^ ^ a ^ ^ Sw itk impwmly
oji tiie human »species. <!
The d%ei>icat; ffouhd here is abaut: thcisize.'of ?a lap^itog and
presents both ib shap© odlour' exactly' th e . appearanee-dn-
dioated by sits. name, t lt;js very wildly and extremely difficult
to tame, though from its. size it. is hot a dangerous animal. • 1
..The leopard is a native ;0& the island».-thought.• rarely met
with.
There are no foxes in Cfeykmj but their placei is: .amply: supplied
by an immense number of jackals. These animals very
much resemble the fox, but are far? bolder and fiercer.. I t is
always by night that they approach theiVallagesi in; large tpaqks,
mabing a loud and horrible noise tikes
•which, they increase as .soon as they have found carrion,, or any
other sort of prey. I t *is a striking tra it’of-’their savage cka-
aacter, th a t they; continue to -keep up .this:,frightful noise,:Mven
•while they are devouring their food. As rsopiijas the uproar ©f
t t e jackals is heard, all' th e -dogs f 3g$bgd£4m> if by sone
consent, instinctively sally out to attack them and' driver them
back inp) The. , woods-
, - j3Jbe?*?byena and [the bear».though natives Of Ceylon,, are
very rarely ;tnet with ; a few only being found on th e north*
east side. ■
A great variety of -monkies are found in swarms over. The
island; and some of the Species are uncommon. The wandenmt
is > remarkable forjitei-great white .beard, which stretches »quite
feom ear to . ear across its blask face»; while the body .»is of a
dark ;gre,y.\ Another: §pe<tt©s, ;of ,a very.lafge .size, is distinguished
by a black body, and a. white triangular beard with a purple
5
feidetr; There ia ^^''ald^g05.^eenish^3n50nkey; which inhabits the
woods l here. S^ jeu rffiawm si^ very largfempeciefe^dt less- > than
.our>Jlar§fer- dogs>. I t is jdistóngmsbéd'ilb'yfeng partedNjhair lying
flat imètsafoKeheadMS This Specfe^^isdextrmiejy' dtertdlbusk and
a greatu annoyance tor i t t e g« i ffidldsitandr gaffdêrisf which they
rób in the fece ©A the-owner, whüêC tlfey deride Mfmby- antiek
* ^ v a r i e ty : ’©fe^oroupiriesp rafeoons, armafdilloe^féquiBrèfei and
feungooses,. are;‘fóms5J inij&tyï'eai Thte'.p ir ^ f f ie s mré easily
caught, ^nd,mreidre^nt^r^ft'-'-tanimatt'(foe boüses. f
- ^ïhe squirrels tare? weigh1 d è stra c ti^ to ^ fe e gardens^ w h k b t h i ^
invade inwmukdt-udes -and idevour vask .quantities Ifef .the*’ fruit.
The'black -squirrel .of iC'eyfënthas jfbeoiose red,’ and is remark*
abfe ‘ft# being fh ree: times? his laigevbsr:6kp^cbmm©n sqhifrel, ïéM
forhfeving-a tail twice.asfdbng .as. its body. The «mall • striped'
squirrel is&vejy playful, and is? constantly seemsqiieaMng and
skipping ’.about n/mong the treesi -
The Indian—iehneumo’ih! 'is* *4 small" tM ife e , in appearance
^iweon a # s^eluaad -a ariungoose, J&t ÉÉ febl infinite use 'MPÊfc*
natives fromI its inveterate enmitynhto * ‘snakes,1 whieb would
ethbrtfSfse ^render every* footstep .'of»the .traveller: dangerous.»:The
ï#èo&-*if ^g jfeily which I havdiis^fc in
trffiy u p r is in g , andiaffiord
with which Providence has »fitted sthe- powers >{®£ eygry- animal
to its.particular isituastibhipfe th e gtobd. >•WMs. diminuti* creature,
on seeing a snafes never do*darge, Will dart bn i t
and sfeteeiit,% fhe »throat* -provided heVfinds himse&Iin’ an open
place wheve: he has fan »opportunity kof running to a ).certain
herb, whieH'ihe .knows instipotiveky to ibermn ahtidpte^agdimt
the y M t p i bite,; if Iferishmild! yhappen -itfeiïeéöivej one. j I