The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-09-09
A Ceylon Jungle.

Prof. Haeckel, who Is giving in the
German Rafndschou some account of
his travels in Ceylon, thus describes
his first attempt to penetrate Ceylon
jungle: The jungle, he says, is not,
properly speaking, primeval forest
forest, that is, untrodden by the foot of
man (such are in Ceylon of small ex-
tent and rare occuIIence); but it COZ
responds to our idea of such forest
in that it consists of a dense and i'm
penetrable mass Of mighty trees of all
kinds, which have sprung up without
regularity or any interference from
man, and are surrounded and over
grown by q wilderness of creeping
and elm bling plants, OF ferns, orchids,
and other parasites, the interstices
being so completely filled up with
motley mass of mailer weeds that it is
quite impossible to disentangle this
coil of tendrils go as to distinguish one
species from the other. My first at
tempt to penetrate such jungle as
this was sufficient to convince me of
the impossibility of the undertaking
except with the aid of axe and fire.
A hard hours work brought me only
few steps into the thlcket and then
was obliged to acknowledge myself
vanquished and make good retreat,
stung by mosquitoes, bitten by ants,
with torn clothes, and arms and legs
bleeding from the thorns and prickles
with which the climbing palm (Cala-
mus, the climbing Hibiscus, the Eu-
phorbia, and multitude of other jun
gle plants repulse every attack made
on their impenetrable laby rinth.
But the attempt had not been made
altogether IN vain, for it enabled me
70 gain very fair idea of the jungle
as whole, more especially of the mag
innocence of its trees and cfeepers, be-
sides introducing me to many separate
varieties of animal and vegetable life,
which were of the highest interest;
here L saw the magnificent GIoriosa
superba, the poisonous climbing lily of
CeyIon, with its red and amber flow.
ers; the prickly Hibiscus radiatus,
with large cup-shaped brimstone-coI-
ored flowers, deepening to violet in
the hollow; while around them fiut
tered gigantic black butterflies with
olood-red spots on their tail.shaped
wings, and chafers and dragon-h,es
flew past with metallic CLEAN. But
my delight reached its height when
on this, my first attempt to penetrate
jungle in Ceylon, [ came across the
Two most characteristic of its inhabi-
tants from among the higher class of
anlmals-parrots and apes. A flock of
green parrots flew screeching from a
lofty tree, as they became aware of the
gun in my hand, and at the same mo-
ment herd of great black apes sprang
with growing cry into the thicket.
did not succeed in getting a shot at
either one or the other; they appeared
to be too familiar with the look ola gun.
L was consoled, however, by securing
with my first shot colossal lizard or
lguana six feet long, of kind held in
much awe by the superstitious ma.
tlves (Hydrosaurus salvator). The
huge erocodile-like beast was summing
himself on the edge OF water tath,
and the shot hit him so precisely on
the head as to kill him at once; had it
struck any less vital part he would
probably have dived into the water
and disappe AIRED; when seized, the
iguana has the power of hitting SO
sharp blow with its scaly tail as to
cause severe wound and even some
times broken limb.