The Jaracara 262 



one occasion had an encounter with them which may be interesting 

 to the reader, and as we have his permission to repeat it, we shall 

 endeavour to do so as nearly as possible in his own words : 



" One fine morning I left Rio for an entomological excursion up 

 the mountain of Tejuca, and thence on to a neighbouring mountain 

 called Pedra Bonita, which is situated between the Tejuca 

 and the Gavia, and commands a most extensive and lovely 

 prospect. Its top is nearly flat for a si)ace of many acres, 

 and is covered by small bushy shrubs a foot or a foot and 

 a-half high, very like our bilberry bushes. The sun was high 

 when I reached the top — at his highest and hottest — and 

 the scene that opened upon my view as I breasted the crest 

 of the hill, and gradually obtained a more and more extended 

 prospect, was magnificent beyond description. Even in that 

 land of paradise I remember nothing more beautiful. Pushing 

 on with my eyes fixed on the ravishing scene, I had reached 

 the centre of the plateau without looking at the ground over which 

 I passed. I had brushed through the bilberry bushes as one would 

 through the heather on a Highland moor. Wrajot in the heavenly 

 view, I had paid no heed to my steps, but when I reached the 

 middle something distracted my attention for a moment, and my 

 eye unconsciously caught sight of an object which instantly 

 banished all thoughts of the view from my mind. There ! within a 

 yard of my knee, coiled up on the top of one of the bilberry 

 bushes, lay a hideous Jararaca, with his head raised up in the 

 middle of his coils, his eyes fixed upon me, and his mouth gaping 

 wide open. It is the habit of these creatures to open their 

 mouths, and gape ready to strike when disturbed or irritated. 

 Hallo ! thought I, here is a dangerous neighbour ; discretion 

 is the better part of valour — I'll get out of his w^ay; and I 

 turned a little to the left to slip gently out of his reach. As I 

 did so I just glanced carelessly in the direction to which I was 

 turning, when I involuntarily started back, for there, within a 

 couple of yards of me, on another bush, lay another Jararaca, 

 coiled up like the first, with his head erect, his mouth open, 

 and his eyes upon me. Lucky I noticed you, my gentleman ! 

 tliought I, and began to slide off" to the right, when there, full in 

 my face, lay another Jararaca, coiled up on the top of his bilberry 

 bush — head erect, mouth open, and eyes intent on me. I stood 

 still, and glanced hurriedly round — the recollection raises the hair 

 on my head even yet. There, on every side, lay Jararacas upon 



