out. ing about her doll in her own perambulator, the writer stole away the doll without her perceiving the theft. When she thought that the doll had had a sufficiently long ride, she walked round the perambulator to take it Not finding the doll where she had left it she was greatly perplexed, and then began to say many times poor Na-na, poor Na-na," "Na-na ta-ta, Na-na ta-ta"; this clearly meant-Poor Na-na has disappeared. And many other examples might be given of this child similarly using her small stock of adjectives and verbs correctly. According to Preyer, from the 1st week to the 5th month the only vowel-sounds used are i and a. On the 43rd day he heard the first consonant, which was m, and also the vowel o. Next day the child said ta-hu, on the 46th day gö, örö, and on the 51st arra. All the vowel sounds were acquired in the 5th month. We have no space to go further into the successive dates at which the remaining consonants were acquired. In the 11th month the child first learnt to articulate a certain word (ada) by imitation, and afterwards repeated the taught word spontaneously. The first year passed without any other indication of a connection between articulation and ideation than was supplied by the child using a string of different syllables (and not merely a repetition of the same one) on perceiving a rapid movement, as any one hurriedly leaving the room, &c.; but this child nevertheless understood certain words (such as "Handchen geben ") when only 52 weeks old. Inefficient attempts at imitative speaking precede the accurate attempts, and at 14 months this inefficiency was still very apparent, being in marked contrast with the precision whereby it would imitate syllables which it could already say; the will to imitate all syllables was present, though not the ability. At the beginning of the 14th month on being asked-"Wo ist dein Schrank?" the child would turn its head in the direction of the cup. board, draw the person who asked the question towards it (though the child could not then walk); and so with other objects the names of which it knew. During the next month the child would point to the object when the question was asked, and also cough, blow, or stamp on being told to do so. In the 17th month there was a considerable advance in the use of sign-language (such as bringing a hat to the nurse as a request to go out), but still no words were spoken save ma-ma, pa-pa, &c. In the 20th month the child could first repeat words of two unlike syllables. When 23 months old the first evidence of judgment was given; the child having drunk milk which was too hot for it, said the word "heiss." In the 63rd week this word had been learnt in imitative speaking, so it required 8 months for it to be properly used as a predicate. At the same age on being asked-"Where is your beard?" the child would place its hand on its chin and move its thumb and fingers as if drawing hair through them, or as it was in the habit of doing if it touched its father's beard; this is evidence of imagination, which, however, certainly occurs much earlier in life. At the close of the second year a great advance was made in using two words together as a sentence-e.g. "home, milk," to signify a desire to go home and have some milk. In the 1st month of the 3rd year sentences of three or even four words were used, as Papa, pear, plate, please." Hitherto the same word would often be employed to express several or many associated meanings, and no words appeared to have been entirely invented. The powers of association and inference were well developed. For instance, the child received many presents on its birthday, and being pleased said "bursta" (= Geburtstage); afterwards when similarly pleased it would say the same word. Again, when it injured its hand it was told to blow upon it, and on afterwards knocking its head it blew into the air. At this age also the power of making propositions advanced considerably, as was shown, for instance, by the following sentence on seeing milk spilt upon the floor-“mime atta teppa papa oï," which was equivalent to "Milch fort (auf den) Teppich, Papa (sagte) pfui!" But it is interesting that at this age words were learnt with an erroneous apprehension of their meanings; this was particularly the case with pronouns- -"dein Bett," for example, being supposed to mean "das grosse Bett." All words which were spontaneously acquired seemed to be instances of onomatopæia. Adverbs were first used in the 27th month, and now also words which had previously been used to express a variety of associated or generic meanings, were discarded for more specific ones. In the 28th month prepositions were first used, and questions. were first asked. In the 29th month the chief advance was in naming self with a pronoun, as in "give me bread"; but the word "I" was not yet spoken. When asked-"Wer ist mir?" the child would say its own name. Although the child had long been able to say its numerals, it was only in this month that it attained to an understanding of their use in counting. In the 32nd month the word "I" was acquired, but still the child seemed to prefer speaking of itself in the third person. The long disquisition on the acquirement of speech is supplemented by a chapter conveying the observations of other writers upon the same subject. This is followed by an interesting chapter on the development of self-consciousness, and the work concludes with a summary of results. There are also lengthy appendices on the acquirements of correct vision after surgical operations by those who have been born blind, and on the mental condition of uneducated deaf mutes; but we have no space left to go into these subjects, Enough, we trust, has been said to show that Prof. Preyer's laborious undertaking is the most important contribution which has yet appeared to the department of psychology with which it is concerned. GEORGE J. ROMANES SCLATER'S "JACAMARS AND PUFF-BIRDS" Monograph is an event worthy of record in the columns of NATURE, although the subjects of it are, perhaps, of somewhat limited interest to the scientific world in general. "Jacamars" and Puff-birds" are, no doubt, well-known groups to the ornithologist, but confined as they are in life to the dense forests of South and Central America, and invisible to most persons even as inhabitants of our Zoological Gardens, their names certainly do not convey any very definite ideas to the uninitiated. We will, therefore, endeavour to explain in a few words what "Jacamars" and "Puff-birds" are. The Jacamars or family "Galbulida" of naturalists form a small group of birds somewhat resembling the kingfishers in general external structure, but with zygodactyle feet, i.e. the toes placed two before and two behind, and with brilliant metallic plumage. They inhabit the forests of America from Guatemala to Southern Brazil, and are generally met with perched upon the outer branches of the trees, and capturing their insect-prey by short flights, after which they return to their former station-like our common flycatcher. The known Jacamars are nineteen in number, referable to six genera. Of all of these species and, in most cases, of both sexes of them, full life-sized figures are given in the present work, from the artistic pencil of M. Keulemans. Of the accompanying letterpress it need only be said that it embraces an account of all the particulars yet known respecting these birds, which at the present time in several cases amounts to very little, and in nearly every instance leaves much to be done before we can be said to have anything like a perfect knowledge of them. Of the closely allied family of the Bucconidæ or Puffbirds nearly the same may be alleged as regards our knowledge of their life-history. The dense wilds of South America need many further years of constant exploration and minute investigation before such particulars can be duly recorded. The Puff-birds are a more numerous group than the Jacamars. Mr. Sclater recognises fortyfour species of the family Bucconidæ, divisible into seven genera. These are treated in exactly the same way as the Jacamars, and illustrated in a similarly artistic manner. No one we think will be likely to find fault with the life`like way in which the artist has represented the various species. Even as a picture-book the Jacamars and Puffbirds form a most attractive volume. The work now completed is uniform in size and style with Mr. Sharpe's "Kingfishers," Messrs. Marshalls' "Barbets," and Capt. Shelley's "Sun-birds," and forms one of the same series of illustrated Ornithological Monographs prepared by different Members of the British Ornithologists' Union. Nor is the series likely to end here, for we are informed that Mr. Dresser has a companion volume on the "Bee-eaters" in a very forward state, and that other similar works are already projected. OUR BOOK SHELF An Illustrated Essay on the Noctuide of North America, with a Colony of Butterflies." By Augustus Radcliffe Grote, A.M., &c. 8vo. (London: Van Voorst, 1882.) THE main feature in this beautifully-got-up little book consists in the four coloured plates, which depict fortyfive of some of the most charming insects of the family of moths, to which the author has devoted his special attention. The species have all been previously described, but all those who have studied Lepidoptera know that it is often practically impossible to identify these insects from descriptions only, and will feel grateful to Mr. Grote for the help afforded by these plates, which are very beautiful. They will likewise thank him for identifying many of the North American species "described " by Walker, according to the types in the British Museum. This process of identifying Walker's types appears likely to occupy the attention of entomologists at least to the end of the present century. The long introductory "Preface" (which forms more than a third of the entire text, and is paged continuously with it) is open to the suggestion of being too rambling in character, and of containing general matter, and polemics, foreign to the title of the book. The chapter on structure and literature will prove very useful. Here, as in the "Preface," a want of concentration in the remarks is observable. The supplementary" Colony of Butterflies" is the most successful part of the work from a literary (and perhaps also from a scientific) point of view. A curious butterfly of a genus of boreal proclivities (Eneis semidea) inhabits the summit of Mount Washington (in the White Mountains), above an elevation of 5600 feet to the summit (6293 feet), and is there isolated. Naturally this is associated with the glacial theory (and it might find many parallels in the Alps of Europe, &c.), and the author has contrived to give us a very instructive chapter on this subject, but we do not gather how he came to know that the "colony "first settled "about one hundred thousand years ago.' Six Months in Persia. By Edward Stack. 2 vols. (London: Sampson Low and Co., 1882.) NOTWITHSTANDING some serious drawbacks, this work will be accepted as a useful contribution to our knowledge of a country about which much ignorance still prevails. It embodies the results of a journey made through the central provinces of Persia last year by a promising member of the Bengal Civil Service en route for England. By departing, wherever possible, from the beaten tracks along the main highways between the Persian Gulf and the Caspian, the traveller has succeeded in collecting much useful information regarding many districts about which very little was hitherto known. But the journey having been specially undertaken at some personal inconvenience in the interests of geographical research, it seems all the more surprising that more forethought was not shown by the explorer in qualifying himself for the task. A little time devoted to a study of the broad principles of geology and botany, as well as to the simple methods of taking altitudes, would have enabled him to turn his opportunities to far better account. As it is, these branches of science are almost entirely neglected, and the space which might have been usefully occupied, with such subjects, is too often sacrificed to trivial details irritating to the reader, and swelling the work to undue proportions. As Damávand was ascended, it would have been more satisfactory, for instance, to have checked the altitude of that famous cone (18,600 feet), taken some years ago by the Russian Caspian Survey, than to be told that at one place there were two little shrines "with small blue domes, date groves and water," at another a ruined mud fort, further on many other ruined mud forts, that one man asked him "endless questions about England which I answered to the best of my ability for the space of two hours," that another " gave me a good dinner," and so on for page after page. Nevertheless some important work, chiefly of a topographical character, was carried out and carefully recorded in the region between Shiraz and Lar, in the Saidábád and Karmán districts, in the neighbourhood of Yazd, and especially in the Bakhtari highlands west of Isfahan. Here the orography and hydrography of the Chahar Mahal and Zarda-kuh uplands were carefully surveyed, and a fresh route explored thence northwards to Gilpaigan. As, according to the latest accounts, the Bakhtari hillmen are again threatening to give trouble to the Prince-Governor of Isfahán, this information may soon prove valuable. These fierce nomads are of the same race and speech as the Kurds, who committed such havoc in the Urmia district last year, and who seem to be again preparing for fresh raids on the Turco-Persian frontier between Azerbaiján and Armenia. In every respect the most interesting and valuable part of the work are the concluding chapters of vol. ii., in which all the fresh geographical materials are conveniently summed up, the land revenue system of Persia dealt with probably for the first time in a really satisfactory manner, and the present condition of the country made the subject of some opportune remarks. It is pleasant to learn that this venerable monarchy, so far from being "played out," is even beginning to show signs of renewed vitality. The famine-stricken districts are gradually recovering, the peculiar underground system of irrigation is being largely extended, brigandage has been almost everywhere suppressed, the governors are beginning to show some regard for the interests of the people, while many will perhaps be surprised to hear that the people themselves are, on the whole, more comfortable, better clad, and better fed than the Indian rayats. There is, of course, "much to be done in the way of governing and reducing things to order;" but notwithstanding much maladministration and many local grievances, "the progress made by Persia within the last ten years is unmistakable." The work is supplied with a series of excellent sectional maps of the regions traversed by the explorer. But there is neither index nor a table of contents beyond the briefest chapter-headings. The stages, however, along the routes are in all cases carefully recorded, with their distances and time occupied in covering the ground. A. H. KEANE Notes on Chemical Calculations, with Examples, for use in the Leys School. By A. Vinter, M.A. (Batley: J. S. Newsome, 1882.) THE selection of calculations contained in this little book, while exhibiting nothing new, is satisfactory; the notes, in so far as they are explanatory of the calculations, are clear, and to the point, but when they deal with such subjects as atoms, molecular weights, and equivalency, they become sadly confused; on these points they must, we are afraid, be very misleading to the boys who make use of this book in the Leys school. A Pocket Guide to British Ferns. By Marian S. Ridley. (London: Bogue, 1881.) MISS RIDLEY's book merits its title; for it is of a most convenient size for the pocket. Whether a new book on British ferns was needed may fairly be doubted; but this little volume will be useful to many beginners. The characters of each fern are given in tabular form, each occupying a page; and the principal points of distinction are clearly brought out. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed' by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts. No notice is taken of anonymous communications. [The Editor urgently requests correspondents to keep their letters as short as possible. The pressure on his space is so great that it is impossible otherwise to ensure the appearance even of communications containing interesting and novel facts.] A Meteorological Spectroscope As a considerable amount of interest seems to have been awakened lately in meteorological spectroscopy, it may be of :ervice to observers to call their attention to a form of pocket spectroscope specially adapted for this purpose which Mr. Adam Hilger, of 192, Tottenham Court Road, prepared for me some months ago. The compound triple prism of flint glass is mounted as nearly as possible at the minimum angle of deviation for "C." We thus obtain a much better view of the red end of the spectrum than with the ordinary pocket spectroscope. Mr. Hilger has also managed to secure an increa ed dispersion, which, with very perfect definition, enables me to see the lines in the so-called "rain-band" at "D" with great ease. Besides the ordinary achromatic object-glass between the adjustible slit and the prisms, the spectro cope is fitted with a telescope, i.e. a sliding tube carrying a lens, or second objectglass, in front of the slit-proposed by Mr. Lockyer-to bring the light from external objects to a focus on it. By this means one is able to differentiate, or localise, the spectra of different parts of the sky. I feel sure that the use of the telescope would prevent people falling into some of the mistakes one sees in publications about rain-band spectroscopy. September 14 J. F. D. DONNELLY The New Comet ON Sunday morning, the 17th inst., at 10.45 a.m., I found a bright comet near the sun. The nucleus was bright, stellar in appearance; the tail was about 4' long, and brightest at the outside edges, giving a double appearance. The direction of the comet was to the centre of the sun. The comet preceded the sun's centre at 10.59 by 6m. 50s., at 12h. om. by 5m. 44s. The distance from the sun's limb on the parallel was at 11h. 10m, 18' 8" (of arc), and at 12h. 6m., 13' 4". I hoped to get more and better measures, but the sky overcast, and with the exception of a short time on Monday morning, when I looked but did not see, the comet has remained so. I used a helioscope of six inches' aperture. Ealing, September 19 A. A. COMMON Contact Makers of Delicate Action I HAVE allowed an error to creep into the sectional elevation of the contact-maker described in your last issue. The bent wire merely dips into the capsule at D, and is separate from the wire, which passes up the tube. This latter wire merely forms part of the circuit, being connected with the terminal as shown in the plan. It should be noted that the plug K is only inserted when the contact-maker is being moved about. Except when this is the case, the mercury passes freely through the opening at M, and nothing but the friction of mercury resists the motion of the wire. Some remarks made in the discussion on the paper have led ping into the mercury at D. me to carefully examine the end of the platinum wire dipIt is shown (highly magnified) in the annexed figure. This end being softened, and no doubt He now phius, Amsterdam, 1705, p. 61) states that the animal crawls sometimes into the hoop nets set for fish or "bobbers." For a long time I have been unable to discover the meaning of the word "bobbers." It occurs in no Dutch dictionary. I in: quired from several Dutch friends without success, and an appeal to Notes and Queries was similarly without result. On visiting Leiden this summer I asked again about the word, and my friend, Prof. Serrurier, promised to find out about it for me. writes that "bobber" is a Dutch mutilation of the Malay word boeboe, meaning a hoop-net, so that Rumphius merely adds the Malay term for the hoop-net to his statement, and does not mention some other kind of trap besides this, in which nautilus is to be caught as I had expected. This matter may seem scarcely worth troubling the readers of NATURE with, but Nautilus is so important a form, so little is known about its habits, and naturalists so eagerly look forward to the day when it shall be caught somewhere in numbers, and its developmental history worked out, that every statement as to possible modes of trapping it is of importance. It is just possible that suitably baited lobster pots or hoop-nets, used in depths of 100 fathoms or thereabouts, might be found efficacious. H. N. MOSELEY PROFESSOR HAECKEL IN CEYLON1 V. THE HE long account of his six week's stay in Belligam (or Bella Gemma, "schöner Edelstein " as, in defiance of etymology he delights to call it) contributed by Professor Haeckel to the September number of the Deutsche Rundschau will be disappointing only to those who imagine that the theoretical and scientific results of such a visit can be analysed, combined and presented to the public within the compass of an article and in a sufficiently popular form to interest the readers of a magazine devoted to general literature. All, whether scientific or not, will find interest in the graphic and spirited account of Belligam, its Rest-House, its inhabitants, and the surrounding nature, animate and inanimate, which is here presented to us. The RestHouse keeper with an unpronounceable Singhalese name Prof. Haeckel christened" Socrates," from his striking resemblance to the bust of that great philosopher, heightened by the sententious maxims with which he flavoured his somewhat long-winded discourses. The Professor's devoted attendant, a handsome Rodiya boy, whose Singhalese name, Gama-Meda, was classicised by him into "Ganymede," is described in detail with an affection that rises into poetical fervour. The picture presented by this poor outcast, the springs of whose heart were first opened by the kind-hearted foreigner whom it became the delight of his life to serve, is charming. "Who so happy as Ganymede when summoned for an expedition to the woods or the shore for painting and collecting, hunting and shooting? When, on such occasions, I allowed him to carry the paint-box or the photographic camera, or to sling the gun or the botanical case over his shoulder, he would stride after me, his face aglow with delight, looking proudly around on the wondering villagers, to whom such favour shown to a Rodiya was utterly incomprehensible. "To Ganymede's unwearied skill and zeal I owe the most highly prized objects of my collection. With the sharp eye, the cunning hand, and the flexible agility of all Singhalese youths, he could catch the fish as it swam, the butterfly as it flew, and would bound into the thickest jungle, or climb the loftiest trees like a cat, in search of the prey that had fallen to my gun. Another pleasant figure, standing out sharp and clear among Professor Haeckel's memories of Belligam, is that of the second chief, or headman of the village, the Arachy Abayawira. His superior character and acquirements were known to the government agent of the southern province, who had given the Professor a special introduction to him. 1 Continued from p. 390. "I found the Arachy," he says, "an unusually intelligent and enlightened man, of about forty years of age, with a circle of interests and an amount of knowledge far beyond those of his fellow-countrymen in general. The prevailing stupidity, laziness, and indifference of the Singhalese gave place in him to a lively interest in education, and a genuine wish to extend its advantages to all within the range of his influence. He spoke English fairly well, and expressed himself with a natural good sense, and a clearness of judgment which often surprised me. "Indeed, the Arachy might claim the title of a philosopher, in a higher sense than that of old Socrates at the Rest House, and I recall with lively pleasure our many and earnest conversations on subjects the most varied and comprehensive. He was free from the superstition and fear of evil spirits which universally prevail among his Buddhist fellow-countrymen, and with open eyes for the wonders of Nature and their explanation by natural laws; he had worked his own way to the position of a free-thinker, prepared to receive with delight the explanations of many of the riddles of Nature which my better knowledge enabled me to give him. I seem to see him still, a fine, dignified, bronze-coloured figure, with regular expressive features, and an eye that lighted up with intelligence as I instructed him on some of the phenomena of Nature; and I seem still to hear his gentle, vibrating voice, as he modestly and respectfully asked my explanation of this or that problem which had puzzled him. The highest and most amiable qualities of the Singhalese national character, a gentle and impressionable temper, and a natural intelligence were developed in the Arachy in the most attractive degree; and when, looking back, I seek to repeople my verdant Paradise with the slender bronze figures of its inhabitants, the images of the Arachy and Ganymede rise before me as their ideal types." The section of his article headed by the Professor "A Zoological Laboratory in Ceylon," will be read by his fellow collectors, and, indeed, by all who appreciate perseverance in spite of obstacles, and entire devotion to a scientific object, with feelings of lively sympathy mingled with admiration. The difficulties arising from want of furniture and appliances, from the absence of all skilled assistance, from destructive insects, and above all, from the climate of Ceylon, were such as would have daunted any less ardent believer in the cause for which he laboured. We wish that we had space to extract at length for the benefit of youthful experimenters the Professor's account of his improvised tables, cabinets, and shelves, and of the semi-despairing resignation with which, after a long day's collecting, he would empty the contents of his jars and glasses to find nine-tenths of his treasures dead before their time from the heat and moisture of the air, and useless as specimens. Another infliction which he seems to have borne with admirable patience consisted in the intrusive curiosity of the natives, who crowded uninvited into his work-room, or thronged round him on his return from a fishing expedition, often causing him to lose the precious minutes which would have saved some of his half dead specimens. The Arachy's explanation that all the white sand and queer little fishes contained in the glasses and jars were to be used to increase knowledge in the world was received with derision by the villagers, the more simple of whom believed that the stranger was inventing a new dish of curry, while the wise-heads looked upon him as a European madman. The want of glass windows was another serious drawback to the preservation of the collection when once safely housed. The green wooden jalousies, which are universal in Ceylon, kept the room too dark for work with the microscope, while admitting an amount of wind and dust (not to mention the more serious incursion of hosts of insects) very detrimental to the specimens and instruments. All these hindrances and others notwithstanding, Prof. Haeckel amassed at Belligam materials for the study of a lifetime, and even obtained some consolation from finding confirmation of the fact which has recently been strikingly demonstrated by the Challenger expedition, namely, that life does not exist in anything like the same diversity of form in different oceans as on different continents; and that in essential features the marine fauna of one tropical coast differs very little from that of another. The account which Prof. Haeckel gives at some length of the daily routine of his life in Belligam is interesting. The Professor begins by congratulating himself on this accident of position as affording him twelve clear working hours in the day. I rose," he says, "regularly before the sun, and had enjoyed my first morning bath by the time he showed himself from behind the palm-woods of Cape Mirissa, exactly opposite my Rest-House. As I stepped on to the verandah to enjoy the sudden awakening of the glorious day, I was sure of finding Ganymede with an open cocoanut of sweet, cool milk, than which there could be no more refreshing morning drink. William, in the meantime, was shaking my clothes free from the millipeds, scorpions, and other insects, which had crawled into their folds during the night. Then came Socrates and served me with tea, accompanied by a bunch of banana fruit and the maize bread of the country. My usual beverage, coffee, is, strange to say, so bad in Ceylon as to be undrinkable, principally because the extreme moisture of the climate prevents the berry from drying properly. "At seven o'clock my boatmen appeared to carry down my nets and glasses for the daily canoe expedition. This lasted from two to three hours, and on my return I busied myself in disposing my captures in glasses of different sizes, and saving such as could be saved among the few survivors. The more important specimens were microscoped and drawn at once. Then I had my second bath, and at eleven o'clock appeared my so-called 'breakfast, consisting chiefly of curry and rice. The rice was simply boiled, but in the preparation of the curry my old cook, Babua, exerted all the ingenuity with which nature had endowed his diminutive brain to present me with a fresh combination every day. Sometimes the curry was 'sweet,' sometimes hot; sometimes it appeared as an undefinable mixtum compositum of vegetables, sometimes as a preparation of the flesh of various animals. Babua seemed to divine that as a zoologist I was interested in every class of animal life, and that he could not do better than turn my curry into a sort of daily zoological problem. .. He was apparently a staunch upholder of the theory of the near relationship of birds and reptiles, and held it to be immaterial what particular species of Saurian were prepared for the table. Fortunately for my European prejudices, I only became acquainted by degrees with the zoological variety of my daily dish of curry; usually not until I had swallowed a considerable portion of it in silent resignation. . . . My great resource as an article of diet was the fruit which abounded at every meal and made up for all that I suffered from Babua's curries. Next to the bananas of every variety, of which I consumed several at every meal, my standing dessert consisted of mangoes (Mangifera indica), egg-shaped green fruit, from three to six inches long; their cream-like golden pulp has a faint but distinct aroma of turpentine. The fruit of the passion-flower (passiflora) was very pleasant to my taste, reminding me of the gooseberry. I was less pleased with the renowned custardapple, the scaly fruit of the Annona squamosa, and with the Indian almond, the hard nut of the Terminalia catappa. There are singularly few apples and oranges in Ceylon; the latter remain green, and are sour and not juicy; but the want of cultivation is doubtless chiefly answerable for the inferiority of this and other fruits; the Singhalese are far too easy-going to make any progress in horticulture. Refreshed with my modest repast, I em ployed the hot hours of mid-day-from twelve to four o'clock-in anatomical or microscopic work, in making observations and drawings, and in the preservation and storing of my collected objects. The evening hours, from four to six o'clock, were generally occupied with some lovely country excursion; sometimes I made a watercolour sketch, sometimes I sought to perpetuate one of the beautiful views in photography. Now and then I shot apes and birds in the woods, or collected insects and snails, or hunted among the coral reefs on the shore, adding many curious objects to my collection. Richly laden, I return to the Rest House an hour or less before sunset, and worked for another hour at the preservation and arrangement of my specimens. At eight o'clock, my second chief meal, or dinner, was served. The pièce de résistance at this was again the inevitable curry and rice, followed sometimes by a fish or a crab, which I enjoyed immensely, and then by some dish composed of eggs or meal, and finishing again with delicious fruit. . . The important question of 'what to drink,' seemed likely at first to prove a difficult one. The ordinary drinking water of the lowlands of Ceylon is considered very bad and unwholesome, the highlands, on the contrary, being rich in springs of the purest and freshest water. The great rains which fall daily on the island bring down a mass of mineral and vegetable deposit into the rivers and the stagnant water of the lagoons is not unfrequently in communication with them. It is not customary to drink the water unless boiled or made into tea, or with the addition of claret or whisky. My friend Scott had given me an abundant supply of the last-named beverage, but on the whole, I found no drink so pleasant and refreshing as well as wholesome, as the fresh milk of the cocoa-nut. "My frugal dinner at an end, I usually took a solitary walk on the shore, or delighted my eyes with the sight of the illumination of the palm woods by myriads of fireflies and glow-worms. Then I made a few entries in my note-book, or tried to read by the light of a cocoa-nut oil lamp. But I was generally quite tired enough to go to bed soon after nine o'clock, after another careful shaking of the clothes for the expulsion of scorpions and millipeds. "The great black scorpion (nearly a foot long) is so common in Ceylon that I once collected half a dozen in the course of an hour. Snakes exist also in great numbers. Slender green tree-snakes hang from almost every bough, and at night the great rat-snake (Coryphodon Blumenbachii) hunts rats and mice over the roofs of the huts. Although they are harmless and their bite not poisonous, it is by no means a pleasant surprise when one of these rat-snakes, five feet long, suddenly drops through a hole in the roof into one's room, occasionally alighting on the bed. On the whole, however, my nights in Belligam were but little disturbed by animal intruders, although I was often kept awake by the howling of jackals and the uncanny cry of the Devil-bird (a kind of owl, Syrnium Indrani) and other night-birds. The bell-like cry of the pretty little tree-frogs which make their dwelling in the cups of large flowers, acted rather as a slumber song. But I was far oftener kept awake by the whirl of my own thoughts, by the recollection of the many events of the past day, and the anticipation of that which was to come. A brilliant succession of lovely scenes, of interesting observations and varied experiences mingled in my brain with plans of fresh enterprise and new discoveries for the morrow." |