MAMMALS OF CEYLON—contd

Order and Family or
Sub-Family.

CANIDZE.

MUSTELID A.

LUTRINE,

URSIDA,

INSECTIVORA.
ERINACEID Z.

SORICID A.

CHIROPTERA.
PTEROPODIDE
(fruit bats).

Name.

English,

18 Canis aureus

Jackal

19 Mustela fluvi- -. Indian marten
qula

20 Lutra nair

indian ofter

21 L. leptonyx

Clawless otter

22 Melursus ursinus

Sloth bear

23 Erinaceus sp.?

Hedgehog

24 Crocidure muri-) Brown musk shrew]
na
25 C. coerulea

1 Gray musk shrew -

26 C. macropus

Long-clawed shrew

27 C. horsfieldi

I Horsfield's shrew

28 Ptleropus mediu

[ndian fruit bat or
flying fox

Sinhalese.

Nariy4

Diya-balls (water
dog)

Walah4 (the female
bear is called We.
lahinna)

Hikmiys
Hikmiya

Mé-wawuli

Remarks,

The jackal has approximately as wide
a range in the Old World as the
leopard.
Jerdon (“Mammals of India,” 1874,
p. 82) says this species occurs in
Ceylon, and Thave heard a rumour
of its occurrence in the Balangoda
district. There is no specimen in
the Colombo Museum.
rccording to Dr. Blanford the Indian
otter is co-specific with the common
 otter, L. vulgaris, which
ranges throughout the Palmarctic
region.
Jr. Blanford thinks it possible that
the otter of Nuwara Eliya may
belong to this species.
The sloth bear feeds upon fruit,
insects,and honey. Whenitattacks
human beings in self-defence it is
in the habit of mauling the face and
head of its victim with its claws.

It is not yet known whether there
is a species of hedgehogs indigenous
 to Ceylon. A specimen was
recently found near Colombo and
is at present living at the Colombo
Museum, but its authenticity is
doubtful. It apparently differs in
some of its characters.
Recorded from the Kandyan District.

Common in the compounds of bungalows
 at Colombo. It is frequently
called the “ musk rat.”
From Nuwara Eliya ; also recorded
from the Palni Hills in Southern
India.
From Peradeniya ; it differs from the
other species in having sixteen
upper teeth in place of eighteen.

The fruit bats forage during the
day and frequent certain trees at
night, to the branches of which
they suspend themselves to rest,
large flocks roosting in the same
trees night after night.

oA