Sketches of the Natural History of Ceylon

by Sir James Emerson Tennent

• I. Conchology.—General character of Ceylon shells [369]
  • Confusion regarding them in scientific works and collections [369]
  • Ancient export of shells from Ceylon [370]
  • Special forms confined to particular localities [372]
  • The pearl fishery of Aripo [373]
  • Frequent suspensions of [374]
  • Experiment to create beds of the pearl oyster [375]
  • Process of diving for pearls [377]
  • Danger from sharks [379]
  • The transparent pearl oyster (Placuna placenta) [380]
  • The "musical fish" at Ballicaloa [381]
  • A similar phenomenon at other places [383]
  • Faculty of uttering sounds in fishes [384]
  • Instance in the Tritonia arborescens [385]
  • Difficulty in forming a list of Ceylon shells [386]
  • List of Ceylon shells [388]
• II. Radiata.—Star fish [395]
  • Sea slugs [396]
  • Parasitic worms [396]
  • Planaria [398]
• III. Acalephæ, abundant [398]
  • The Portuguese man-of-war [400]
  • Red infusoria [400]
  • Note on the Tritonia arborescens [401]

[CHAP. XII.]

INSECTS.

• Profusion of insects in Ceylon [403]
  • Imperfect knowledge of [404]
• I. Coleoptera.—Beetles [405]
  • Scavenger beetles [405]
  • Coco-nut beetles [407]
  • Tortoise beetles [408]
• II. Orthoptera.—Mantis and leaf-insects [408]
  • Stick-insects [410]
• III. Neuroptera.—Dragon flies [411]
  • Ant-lion [411]
  • White ants [411]
  • Anecdotes of their instinct and ravages [412]
• IV. Hymenoptera.—Mason wasps [416]
  • Wasps [417]
  • Bees [418]
  • Carpenter Bee [418]
  • Ants [420]
  • Burrowing ants [424]
• V. Lepidoptera.—Butterflies [424]
  • The spectre [426]
  • Lycænidæ [426]
  • Moths [427]
  • Silk worms [428]
  • Stinging caterpillars [429]
  • Wood-carrying moths [430]
  • Pterophorus [432]
• VI. Homoptera [432]
  • Cicada [432]
• VII. Hemiptera [433]
  • Bugs [433]
• VIII. Aphaniptera [433]
• IX. Diptera.—Mosquitoes [434]
  • Mosquitoes the "plague of flies" [434]
  • The coffee bug [436]
• General character of Ceylon insects [442]
• List of insects in Ceylon [442]

[CHAP. XIII.]

ARACHNIDÆ, MYRIOPODA, CRUSTACÆ, ETC.

• Spiders [464]
  • Strange nets of the wood spiders [464]
  • The mygale [465]
  • Birds killed by it [467]
  • Olios Taprobanius [469]
  • The galeodes [470]
  • Gregarious spiders [471]
  • Ticks [471]
  • Mites.—Trombidium tinctorum [472]
• Myriapods.—Centipedes [472]
  • Cermatia [473]
  • Scolopendra crassa [474]
  • S. pollippes [474]
  • The fish insect [474]
• Millipeds.—Julus [476]
• Crustacæ [477]
  • Calling crabs [477]
  • Sand crabs [478]
  • Painted crabs [478]
  • Paddling crabs [478]
• Annelidæ, Leeches.—The land leech [479]
  • Medicinal leech [483]
  • Cattle leech [484]
• List of Articulata, &c. [485]
• Note.—On the revivification of the Rotifera and Paste-eels [486]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

• View of an Elephant Corral [Frontispiece]
• Group of Ceylon Monkeys to face [5]
• The Loris (Loris gracilis) [12]
• Group of Flying Foxes (Pteropus Edwardsii) to face [14]
• Head of the Horse-shoe Bat (Rhynulophus) [19]
• Nycteribia [21]
• Indian Bear (Prochylus labiatus) [23]
• Ceylon Leopard and Indian Cheetah [26]
• Jackal's Skull and "Horn" [36]
• Mongoos of Neura-ellia (Herpestes vitticollis) [38]
• Flying Squirrel (Pteromys oral) [41]
• Coffee Rat (Golunda Elliotti) [44]
• Bandicoot Rat (Mus bandicota) [45]
• Pengolin (Manis pentadactylus) [47]
• Skeleton of the Pengolin [48]
• Moose-deer (Moschus meminna) [59]
• The Dugong (Halicore dugung) [69]
• The Mermaid, from Valentyn [72]
• Brain of the Elephant [95n]
• Bones of the Fore-leg [108]
• Elephant descending a Hill [110n]
• Elephant's Well [122]
• Elephant's Stomach, showing the Water-cells [125]
• Elephant's Trachea [126]
• Water-cells in the Stomach of the Camel [128]
• Section of the Elephant's Skull [145]
• Fence and Ground-plan of a Corral [172]
• Mode of tying an Elephant [184]
• His Struggles for Freedom [185]
• Impotent Fury [188]
• Obstinate Resistance [189]
• Attitude for Defence [203]
• Singular Contortions of an Elephant [204]
• Figures of the African and Indian Elephants on Greek and Roman Coins [207n]
  • Medal of Numidia [212n]
• Modern "Hendoo" [212n]
• The Horn-bill (Buceros pica) [243]
• The "Devil-bird" (Syrnium Indranec) [246]
• The "Cotton-thief" (Tchitrea paradisi) [250]
• Layard Mountain Jay (Cissa puella) [251]
• The "Double-spur" (Gallo-perdix bicalcaratus) [260]
• The Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) [261]
• The Kabara-goya Lizard (Hydrosaurus salvator) [274]
• The Green Calotes (Calotes ophiomachus) [276]
• Tongue of the Chameleon [278]
• Ceratophora to face [280]
• Skulls of the Crocodile and Alligator [283]
• Terrapin (Emys trijuga) [290]
• Shield-tailed Serpent (Uropeltis grandis) [303]
• Tree Snake (Passerita fusca) to face [307]
• Sea Snake (Hydrophis subloevisis) to face [311]
• Saw of the Saw-fish (Pristis antiquorum) to face [326]
• Ray (Aëtobates narinari) [327]
• Sword-fish (Histiophorus immaculatus) [330]
• Cheironectes [331]
• Pterois volitans [334]
• Scarus harid [335]
• Perch (Therapon quadrilineatus) [337]
• Eel (Mastacembelus armatus) [338]
• Mode of Fishing, after Rain [340]
• Plan of a Fish Decoy [342]
• The Anabas of the dry Tanks [354]
• The Violet Ianthina and its Shell [370]
• Bullia vittata [370]
• Pearl Oysters, in various Stages of Growth to face [381]
• Pearl Oyster, full grown to face [381]
• Cerithium palustre [381]
• The Portuguese Man-of-war (Physalus urticulus) [399]
• Longicorn Beetle (Batocera rubus) [405]
• Leaf Insects, &c [409]
• Eggs of the Leaf Insect (Phyllium siccifolium) [410]
• The Carpenter Bee (Xylocapa tenniscapa) [419]
• Wood-carrying Moths [431]
• The "Knife, grinder" (Cicada) [432]
• Flata (Elidiptera Emersoniana and Poeciloptera Tennentii) [433]
• The "Coffee-bug" (Lecanium caffeæ) to face [438]
• Spider (Mygate fasciata) to face [465]
• Cermatia [473]
• The Calling Crab (Gelusimus) [477]
• Eyes and Teeth of the Leech [479n]
• Land Leeches preparing to attack [479]
• Medicinal Leech of Ceylon [483n]