Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-25

WT WY their scenes laid there.
pa M In those amazing narra-
F{S ~ ives it is called Seren-
lD dib, and its pearls and
s&EfA~x,, rubies, strange feuna
SAhS TSxI ,TS- and other natural mar
AXyftSHx<Y wells have afforded I'M
sGEG% limited material for the
e.ss<SAf" imaginations of oriental
romancers to work upon.
Particularly in the animal and vegetable
world Ceyaon is filed with curiosities. Among
the most remarkable of the inhabitants of the
forests are rats that make their nests on the
branches Of trees. Frequently they visit the
dwellings, Of the native people. where they are
eagerly pursued and deroured by kind of
snake known as the rat snake" specimens of
which-are commonly domesticated for the pur-
pose Of destroying the rodents. So rapid are
these ophidians in their movements that rat,
once spied, has small chance of escaping
There are rats of another kind on the island
which nest among tree roots. Like the lem
mings of Norway, they migrate in vast num-
beers on the occurrence of q scarcity Of food.
They attack the coffee plants and the Malabar
coolies are 80 fond Of their fesh as to prefer to
labor In those districts where the coffee planta-
tons are invaded by the animals. For eating
the rats are fried in cocoanut oil or made into a
curry.
Crocodiles literally swarm in the lakes and in
sluggish streams. One Of the two common spe-
cies attains a length Of eighteen feet and does
not hesitate to assail human beings when
pressed by hunger. During the wars between
the natives and the Portuguese, who attempted
centuries ago to conquer and christianize the
island, the latter sometimes disposed Of their
prisoners by throwing them to the crocodies
The only formidable representatives Of the cat
trina lnopor1c R,, ~
sake Of their extremely beautiful skins. These
animals ARE strongly attracted by the peculiar
odOr which accompanies smallpox. The reluc-
lance Of the Singhalese to submit themselves or
their children to vaccination exposes the coun-
try to frightful deyastations by this complaint.
and in the villages of the interior it is usual on
such occasions to build huts in the Jungle to
| serve as temporary hospitals. Toward these the
leopards are certain to be sllured. and the med
ical officers are obliged to resort to special pre-
cautions in consequence.
CEYLoN SNAKE STONES.
The so-called ''snake stones of Ceylon are
celebrated for the efficacy which they are sup
posed to have in curing the bites of venomous
| serpents. Secrecy is maintained as to the
method Of their manufacture, which is lucra-
| tive business carried on by monks, who supply
the merchants of India with them Very high
prices are demanded for them. They are en-
ployed in the familiar manner by being placed
on the wound. their absorbent material sucking
up the blood and incidentally the venom, as is
claimed. There is plenty of authentic evidence
of remarkable cures performed by such snake
stones, though science is as yet reluctant to
place any belief in them.
Sir j. K. Tennent, to whose work on Ceylon
the writer is indebted. tells of an occasion
when he was riding along jungle path on the
island, and he saw one or two natives who were
approaching suddenly dart off from the road
and return immediately with COBRA the most
deadly OF all serpents, grasped by the head and
tail. The man tried to place the snake in q
covered basket, but handled it so inexpertly
that it seized him by the finger and retained its
hold for few seconds. Blood flowed and in
tense pain appeared to follow. AS quickly as
possible the other native undid his own waist
cloth and took from it two snake stones. each
the size Of small almond, intensely black and
highly polished. though extremely light. These
he applied one to each wound inflicted by
selves closely, the blood that oozed from
the bite being rapidly imbibed by the porous
substance. After three or four minutes thew
dropped off and the suffering of the man
seemed to have subsidized. He twisted his fin
gers until the -jciuts cracked and went On his
way without concern. 1t has been ascertained
with certainty that these snake stones are us,l-
ally nothing more than pieces of burned bone.
The Mexican recipe for making q snake stone is
to take fragment of deer's horn of any conye-
nient size and shape, cover it with grass inclose
both in a thin piece Of sheet copper and place
well charred. When cold remove the calcined
horn from its envelope, when it will be found
to be u solid black fibrous substance. 1t will
then be ready for immediate use.
DIGGING FOR FISHES.
In some parts of Ceylon the natives are &C
customed to dig in the mud during the hot sea-
son for fishes, which are found buried in the
soft clay at depth of two feet or more It is
thus that these curious animals hide themselves
during period of torpidity. More than one
species indigenous to the island have this re-
markable habit, which accounts for the appear
ance OF full-grown fishes in ponds which have
shortly before been entirely dried up. This
phenomenon was for long time regarded as an
lnexpheable mystery. The creatures as they
find their accustomed element disappearing by
evaporation during the dry time OF the year
bury themselves in the mud, sinking to a depth
at which they find sufficient moisture to pre-
serve life for months, while the bed of the pond
| above them may perhaps become hardened
crust, dried and cracked by the heat of the sun.
As soon as the water comes again they emerge
and people take advantage of the opportunity
while they are still houndering about in the
shadows to effect their capture in large num-
bers.
Ceylon is great place for bugs. Most beau
tlful OF the numerous strange kinds of insects
CAGES of which are used to enrich Indian en-
broideries, while the lustrous joints Of the legs
are strung ON silken threads, forming necklaces
and bracelets Of singular brillinncy. Most re-
markable in respect to form are the so-called
walking leaves" which exhibit the queerest Of
all natures devices for the preservation Of her
creatures. These insects are found in the Jun
gle In all varieties Of hue, from the pale yellow
of an opening bud to the rich green of the full
grown leaf and the witherod tint Of decay. So
perfectly do they counterfeit leaves in structure
that when at rest they are hardly to be dis
tinguished from the foliage IN their neighbor-
hood. One of the most extraordinary things
about them is that their eggs precisely resemble
seeds.
TERRIBLE WASP.
OF the wasps found on the island one species
is SO formidable that it is regarded with the ut
most dread by the unclad natives. It builds
nests seven feet long and two feet in diameter
The famous termites, commonly called white
ants" although they belong to the order Of the
/ dragon fly, infest Ceylon in countless swarms,
devouring e. ything eatable, and even cutting
the timbers Of dwelling houses so that the latter
are reduced to mere shells. They erect great
mounds of clay ten or twelve feet high, the
material for which is brought from beneath the
surface Of the ground. Below the ground
cave of corresponding dimensions is necessarily
scooped out, and here, under the multitude Of