Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-25
within a few hours. even TO the innermost and
otherwise inaccessible whorls.
UNPLEASANT INSECTS

UNPLEASANT INSECTS.
The most unpleasant insects on the island are
scorpions, which grow to gigantic size, attain
ing length of nearly a foot. They are active
and earnivorous, living in holes IN old walls and
other gloomy dens. They arc Of a dark purple
color, with yeliowish legs and antenng, and
their aspect is repulsive and frightful. They
are strong and evince eager disposition to
fight when molested. Being gifted by nature
with hard and tough armor. which will not
yield 10 q moderate blow, they often escape the
most well-deserved and well-directed attempts
pedss il Ceylon, which grow to be nearly
foot long. Equally Questionable are the
land leeches, which infest the grass in moist
parts OF the country, particularly during the
rainy season They are about an inch long and
as thick rs n common knitting needle. their
structure is SO flexible that they can insinuate
themselves through the meshes of the finest
stockings, not only seizing on the feet and
ankles, but ascending to the beck and throat.
In moving they have the power to plant one
extremity on the earth and raise the other per-
pendicularly to watch for o victim. Such is
their vigilance that, on the approach 81 a
passer-by to a spot which they infest, they may
be seen among the grass along the edge Of the
path poised erect and preparing for their attack
on man and horse. On perceiving their prey
measuring worm until they can lay hold Of the
travellers foot Often they are seen hanging
like punches of grapes around the naked legs of
palanquin bearers, whose hands are too much
engaged to remove them.
THE FOREST TREES.
The trees in the forests Of Ceylon are tor
mented by enormous climbing plants Some
of them exceed in diameter three feet, and such
gigantic appendages are to be seen surmount-
ing the tallest monarchs Of the woods. grasping
their stems in firm convo1utions, and then fling
ing their mcnstrous tendrils over the larger
limbs until they reach the top, whence they de-
scend toward the ground in huge festoons.
After including another and another tree in their
tolls successfully, they wind the whole into
maze Of living network. When, by and by, the
trees on which this singular fabric has become
suspended give way under its weight or sink
by their own decay the fallen trunks speedily
disappear, while the convotutions Of climbers
continue to grow On, forming vast mounds Of
hopeless confusion One of these creeping
plants has pods Ave feet long, which are Alled
with beautiful brown beans solarge that the
natives hollow them out and carry them for
finder boxes. Another climber bears pods CON-
tanning seeds which are 80 coated with silex that
they strike fire like flint. There are remarkable
ground creepers also, some species of the rattan
kind having stems that reach q length Of $50
feet without single irregularity and with no
appearance Of foliage other than the bunch Of
feathery leaves at the extremity. So strong are
these plants that the natives employ them for
bridges over water courses and rayines In the
forests are found certain extraordinary kinds Of
thorny trees, which bear such formidable
spines, sometimes in branching clusters with
each point spike as sharp as lancet, that por-
tons Of the woods where they abound are i'm
passable even to elephants. In native wars Of
a Few centuries ago armies intrenched them
selves behind bitches filed with such thorns.
THE cocoANUr PALM.
Ceylon is famous for its palms, most remark
able Of which is the cocoanut tree, said to have
100 uses. The leaves are utilized for mats,
baskets, torches, brooms, fodder for cattle and
fuel; the stems Of the leaves for fences fishing
rods and domestic utensils; the cabbage" or
cluster OF unexpanded leaves for pickles and
preserves; the sap for ''toddy,"a mildly alco-
holic beverage, and for making vinegar and
sugar; the nut for its milk, for eating and for
its green husk preserved; the oil for soap, can
dies and light: the shell Of the nut for drinking
cups, spoons, bottles and knife handles; the
fiber that envelops the shell for mattresses,
cordage, canvas, fishing nets and oakum, and
the trunk for all purposes that wood is good
for. 1t is said that native can build his house
entirely from q palm, and from the same tree
may obtain his wine, make his oil, kindle
his fire, get his food and cook his repast.
In fact. multitudes of people do SO live
furnish the support Of q whole family.
The Singhalesc have superstition that the
cocoanut will not grow "out of sound of the
human voice" and will die if the village where
it has previously thriven becomes deserted. A
frequent tree in the forests bears the poisonous
seeds from which strychnine is extracted. The
fruit which contains the seeds is the size and
color of small orange. 1t is believed BY the
Malabar coolies that these seeds are a prophy-
tactic against the venom Of the cobra. and they
are accustomed to eat single one per day in
order to acquire the desired protection from
the effects Of the serpent's bite.