I go 



THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



a degree of suflfering quite beyond the 

 power of the imagination of those who 

 have never experienced their effects. 

 Not all of these insects annoyed us by 

 their bites. A kind of beetle, similar to 

 our June-bug, made its appearance after 

 candle-light, so that eating or even sit- 

 ting at the table became impossible 

 when we were delayed in reaching the 

 evening meal. Incredible as it may ap- 

 pear, we have watched the plates, the 

 spoons and the candlesticks bearing 

 lighted candles, as they were moved 

 completely across the table and thrown 

 upon the floor by the great numbers of 

 these insects which formed a heaving 

 mass underneath them. 



Reference has already been made to 

 the abundance of serpents as seen when 

 they are disturbed by the inundation of 

 their meadows. The forests are equally 

 full of them. We would encounter them 

 in the pathway; they climbed upon the 

 trees and bushes, especially those over- 

 hanging the water; they were constant 

 visitors to the camp, entering the tent 

 or house, and they even lived in num- 

 bers in the palm-leaf thatch. Nine coral 

 snakes were removed in replacing the 

 roof of the house next adjoining ours. 

 Occasionally while chasing rats and 

 other vermin about through the thatch 

 they will drop upon the floor or even 

 upon the bed or table. Apparently a 

 majority of these serpents are venomous 

 and the constant anxiety of being on the 

 watch for them plays no small part in 

 wearing out the nerves of those living in 

 such a region for the first time. 



A very erroneous idea exists as to the 

 harmlessness of the alligator, and it is 

 strange that this should have been so 

 largely promoted by writers on natural 

 history. Not only are these creatures 

 large and numerous about the delta, but 

 they are very ferocious, and, especially 

 during the hatching season, they are not 



slow in attacking man. Even the smaller 

 members of the lizard family are in some 

 cases reported venomous and certainly 

 do not lack the disposition to attack 

 human beings, as we ascertained by per- 

 sonal observation. No one is of course 

 surprised to find ferocity among the rep- 

 tilia, but it does appear strange to see 

 the birds armed with sharp and power- 

 ful spikes upon the wings, and even 

 with horns upon the head. Although 

 the latter may not be used for offense, 

 the former certainly are and constitute 

 very formidable weapons. Birds of prey 

 are exceedingly numerous in this region 

 and have good reason for being well 

 armed, for the objects of their attention 

 are in many, if not in most cases fitted 

 for making a desperate resistance. 



Although these visible evidences of 

 warfare are so conspicuous about the 

 L,ower Orinoco, it is beyond the reach ot 

 our ordinary observation,within the vari- 

 ous waters of this strange region, that the 

 most desperate conflicts are waged. 

 Surely, nothing can exceed in interest 

 the combination of provisions for rapid 

 and changing movement and of offensive 

 and defensive armament possessed by the 

 animals of the streams and pools. The 

 Maricot, the principal food fish there 

 found, has a pair of tusks like those of 

 the wild boar, some two inches in length, 

 sharp and powerful, and these are sup- 

 plemented by a set of powerful molars 

 for heavy grinding. The "scissors-fish" 

 has a cutting under edge to its pectoral 

 fin, which closes down by a succession 

 of notches, each holding the cutter at 

 the point reached by each successive 

 muscular contraction. The waters swarm 

 with electric eels, though these are not 

 nearly so dangerous as generally be- 

 lieved. The Carib-fish or Piranhau, 

 with interlocking triangular teeth, mas- 

 sive head and jaws, and a ferocity which 

 for vigor and persistence is equalled only 



