CHAP.  III

Vegetation.—­Trees and plants.

The Flora of Ceylon imperfectly known
Vegetation similar to that of India and the Eastern Archipelago
Trees of the sea-borde.—­Mangroves—­Screw-pines, Sonneratia
The Northern Plains.—­Euphorbiae Cassia.—­Mustard-tree of Scripture
Western coast.—­Luxurious vegetation
Eastern coast
Pitcher plant.—­Orchids
Vines
Botany of the Mountains.—­Iron-wood, Bamboo, European
    fruit-trees
  Tea-plant—­Rhododendron—­Mickelia
  Rapid disappearance of dead trees in the forests
  Trees with natural buttresses
Flowering Trees.—­Coral tree
  The Murutu—­Imbul—­Cotton tree—­Champac
  The Upas Tree—­Poisons of Ceylon
  The Banyan
  The Sacred Bo-tree
  The India Rubber-tree—­The Snake-tree
  Kumbuk-tree:  lime in its bark
Curious Seeds.—­The Dorian, Sterculia foetida
  The Sea Pomegranate
  Strychnos, curious belief as to its poison
Euphorbia—­The Cow-tree, error regarding (note)
Climbing plants, Epiphytes, and flowering creepers
Orchids—­Brilliant terrestrial orchid, the
    Wanna-raja.—­Square-stemmed Vine
Gigantic climbing Plants
  Enormous bean
  Bonduc seeds.—­Ratans—­Ratan bridges
Thorny Trees.—­Raised as a natural fortification by the
    Kandyans
  The buffalo thorn, Acacia tomentosa
Palms
  Coco-nut—­Talipat
  Palmyra
  Jaggery Palm—­Arcea Palm
Betel-chewing, its theory and uses
  Pingos
Timber Trees
  Jakwood—­Del—­Teak
  Suria
Cabinet Woods.—­Satin-wood—­Ebony—­Cadooberia
  Calamander, its rarity and beauty
  Tamarind
Fruit-trees
  Remarkable power of trees to generate cold and keep their fruit
    chill
Aquatic Plants—­Lotus, red and blue
  Desmanthus natans, an aquatic sensitive plant

PART II.

Zoology.

CHAPTER I.

Mammalia.

Neglect of Zoology in Ceylon
Monkeys
  Wanderoo
  Error regarding the Silenus Veter (note)
  Presbytes Cephalopterus
  P. Ursinus in the Hills
  P. Thersites in the Wanny
  P. Priamus, Jaffna and Trincomalie
  No dead monkey ever found
Loris
Bats
  Flying fox
  Horse-shoe bat
Carnivora.—­Bears
Their ferocity

Singhalese belief in the efficacy of charms (note)
Leopards
  Curious belief
  Anecdotes of leopards
Palm-cat
Civet
Dogs
Jackal
  The horn of the jackal
Mungoos
  Its fights with serpents
  Theory of its antidote
Squirrels
  Flying squirrel
Tree rat
  Story of a rat and a snake
Coffee rat
Bandicoot
Porcupine
Pengolin
Ruminantia.—­The Gaur