New-York tribune., 1882-08-13
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE,
A CFYLON JUNGLE.

u.aolol who is giving in the German
2anGscbqu some account OF ms ,t .aa, 70 meme
t6rs describes his tlrst at'elnRI W 80 Ri is
trota CevlOn jungle; me yi y"ihsEr~ sn,os+ forest
not, properly speaking, ptiu pa foot Of man (such
+La} i untrodden 10y the looS y, - - occnr
'tla' -, S,,Ion of small extent and rare ocoHi i
arc IL ~ 80 - corresponds 10 our luet Oh sum Z"
tJ - tbat If consists OF dense auu LII III
t,f mass of mighty trees Oh an anus in
bsve sprung up without re- u"li ,vrronIded ~
1ato ~rso,epcc from man, and are s1tIounGu N,,,
Iei IeIi e,.ororovn by wilderness Oi cleelinS H
J anJd climbing pants, of ferns, orchids auu i o.mIi
narasites. the interstlees beng so poo5s
allied ND with a motley mass OF smalot - tle
thaJ il is quite lmpoSsiDle 10 uiSen aIo snecies
col of tendrls so as to distinguish one SPeDiteS
fron, the other My first attempt 20 peni,'@o
sncb iunole as this was sufficient 10 con NJ ~
me of the impOssibillty OF the uhuei hord
rent with the aid Of axe ana liIo. ~ =, I'm
bnur's work brought me Oh y y. III Doul-
fhe tbicket ana then was O0HEeq W ld ayr ~ 70
- ,,,,-solf yaDduished and make Roou ~
trcat sfung by mosquitoes, Dltteh ~ az o.,
Iitb tom clothes. and arms ana legs ~ p~ieJu.Ls I
from the thOrns and proxies VIII VIZ" NniC" - II; IL
climbing palm lSlainuSb IA Ino nnltitude of
discus. the EuphOrOia ana muIs'VIuo mu1f' vs.
other Jungle plants repulse every at'"ch Ai"uo
on their impenetrable labyrinth ,..o.L,,.
But the attempt had not been mace atogeIn9, fr3,
ir vain for it enabled me to gam a very IaI II
;1ea of the Jungle as whole more eSpecia'lS
besides introducing me to many separate va
rieties of animal and vegetable nle, mitS. tS
were of the highest interest; mere saw wv Uiio
macpifcent Gloriosa superba, the poisonous
rlimbiuy lily of CeylOn, With It's req ana anu m
her fowers the prickly Hibiscus raulatus;
with large cup-shaped birthstone u
flowers. deepeninC TO violet IN the hoilV"
while around them futterrd gigantic Olack
bntterfies with blood-Tcd spots on ther Tar .s =
shaped wings, and cLafers and draSoh-Ales
flew past with a metallic gleah- D%ut % ny
DELIGHT reached its height when on tluS' H.,
first attempt to penetrate jungle IN Ceylot1
came across the two most characteristic OF IlS
5nbabitants from among the higher class OF
opimais-parrots and apes. a flock OF green
farrots fiew screechIng from lofty Tree, n
3bey became aware of the gun In my Dand,
and at the same moment herd OF great DiLch
nDes sprang with a growing cry into the
46icket ! did not succeed IN getting shot
ar either one or the other they appeared 10 be
ZOO familiar with the look OF gun. was
ropsoled. however by securing with my nrsU
SHOT colossal lizard OF lcuana SIX ieet long
OF kind held in much awe by the supefss3si-
tious natives (Hydrosaurus saivator). Inc
huge crccOdile-like beast was summing mmSei1
on the edge of a water-tanl, and the shot mt
him so precisely on the head as 70 Nil MN aI
once had it struck any less vital part he would
probably have dived into the water and dlsap-
1eaTed when seized, the Iguana has the power
of hitting SO sharp "a blow with Its scaly tai
as 10 cause a severe wound and even some
1irnes q broken limb.