680 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



common as elements of the "ihlas." 

 Typical of the animal life of these prai- 

 ries are the armadillos (Prionodontes, 

 Tatusia, Lysurus), the banded great 

 ant-eater (Myrmecophaga jubata), the 

 prairie turtle {Cmosternum), deer, the 

 South American stork (Myderia), the 

 wild dog (Canis) and the rhea (in certain 

 regions south of the Amazon — Bolivia, 

 east of the Beni from Reyes). 



III. PRESENT BIOTA 



Civilization has only modified the 

 biota slightly through the rubber and 

 brazil nut industries. Agricultural de- 

 velopment is insignificant. Game is 

 not plentiful, but for the most part, 

 the country above Manaos — the whole 

 upper basin forming a triangle between 

 the Madeira, the Andes and the Rio 

 Negro — practically remains unchanged. 



IV. GUIDE AREAS AVAILABLE FOR STUDY 



1. Rio Uaup4s and the Upper Rio Negro. 

 Reached by both regular and trading 

 company steamers from Manaos. Regu- 

 lar monthly steamer to S. Isabel on the 

 Rio Negro and from there to Rio Uaupes 

 by canoe and launch. 



2. The Javary river district. Reached 

 by regular monthly Amazon S. N. Cy. 

 Co. steamer to Remate de Males, 40 

 mi. up from its mouth. 



3. Northeastern Bolivia (El Beni). 

 Reached by several routes. From the 

 east by Booth Line steamer to Manaos, 

 Brazil, regular semi-monthly Amazon 

 River S. N. Cy. steamers to Porto 

 Velho, thence by weekly Madeira- 

 Mamore R. R. train to Bolivian frontier, 

 thence by Bolivian government or 

 trading company steamer to Riberalta. 

 From there passage can be secured on 

 the monthly government launch to 

 within a short distance of Rurrenabaque. 

 From west, see directions for No. 4. 



4. Cochabamba River district. Mules 

 and guides from La Paz, Bolivia to 

 Espia, head of navigation on the Bopi 

 river, thence by balsa raft to Covendo 

 Mission. Arrangements should be made 

 several months in advance with the 



Franciscans in La Paz for balsas and 

 Indian balseros. December to April 

 or May, transportation is not prac- 

 ticable. 



5. Bolivian Yungas, easily accessible 

 from La Paz. 



6. Territory tributary to Iquitos, Peru. 

 Regular steamers reach here from 

 Manaos. 



For all these regions, camping equip- 

 ment, special outfits, and certain kinds 

 of canned goods, if desired, should be 

 brought from the United States. Small 

 metal change in quantity, trading 

 articles (knives, salt, large fish hooks) 

 are very desirable in some parts of the 

 Bolivian territory. 



V. BIBLIOGRAPHY 



1. Le Cointe, Paul (Commercial Mu- 



seum of Para). L'Amazonie br^- 

 silienne: Le pays-ses habitants, 

 ses ressources, notes et statistiques 

 jusqu'en 1920. 2 vols., 528 + 495 p. 

 Augustin Challamel: Paris, 1922 

 probably most useful work cited, 

 deals with climate, physical 

 geography, navigation, (particu- 

 larly as to river steamship lines, 

 number of sailings per month, dis- 

 tances, etc.), fauna (130 p.) and 

 flora (giving the native as well as 

 the scientific names of many of the 

 species of mammals, birds, fishes, 

 etc., trees, economic plants of 

 local use, etc. with information 

 concerning habits, abundance, 

 habitat, etc. of the animals, the 

 uses and localities of economic 

 plants, etc. A section is devoted 

 to advice to travelers upon hy- 

 giene : bibliography of 200 titles. 



2. Bates, H. W. Naturalist on the river 



Amazons. 1st. ed. 1863. To be 

 had in many editions, including 

 one in the Everyman Library 

 Series. This work together with 

 No. 3 are the most useful and 

 authoritative works in English on 

 the natural history of the Amazon 

 valley, although written primarily 

 from the viewpoint of zoology and 

 No. 2 particularly from that of 

 entomology: regions described 

 are: Para and vicinity; the Rio 

 Tocantins; the lower Amazon from 

 the Bay of Maraio to Obydos and 

 from Obj^dos to Manaos ; Santarem 

 and vicinity; Rio Tapajos; the 

 upper Amazons from Manaos to 

 Ega, and Fonte Boa and St, Pftulq, 



