Journal of Travel a fid JVahiral History 264 



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A Capybara Trap.^ — The Capybara is sometimes caught, or rather I 

 should say killed in traps set for it near the rivers in Brazil. I have reason to 

 know it. I was very nearly caught in one myself on one occasion. It was near 

 Petropolis, a favourite country retreat of the inhabitants of Rio Janeiro. I went 

 fishing one day in a stream which flowed not far from it. After whipping it for 

 some distance without any great success, I came to a part of it where the forest 

 and underwood encroached so much upon the banks that it was impossible to 

 fish. At some distance further down, I knew that the banks were clearer ; but 

 I could only reach this clearer part by making a long detour, or else by forcing 

 my way through the jungle along the bank. To save time I took the latter 

 course. T took my rod to pieces and put it up. As I forced my way through 

 the thick jungle I found it more difficult than I had supposed ; the thick 

 branches and strong Uianas often nearly completely blocked the way, and I 

 was more than once compelled to go down on my hands and knees and creep 

 under them for a longer or shorter distance. In such places I had, however, 

 generally the advantage of something like little sheep roads or hares' paths, 

 made by some of the beasts of the forest — made in fact by the Capybara — they 

 were to a certain extent clear below, but above their height passage was im- 

 possible. As I was creeping along one of these paths, on my hands and knees, 

 my attention was most happily, but quite accidentally, drawn to a stake driven 

 into the ground on one side of me — then two or three more in a sort of row ; 

 and when I cast my eyes on the other side there was a row of them there too, 

 and obviously converging closer and closer, leaving little more than space for me 

 to pass. What can this be ? thought I. Presently I thought the place where I 

 had got was even darker and more gloomy than before, and looking up I 

 saw immediately, just above my head, a mass of something black, not very 

 distinguishable but which looked like a combination of timber and rocks. 

 Decidedly, thought I, discretion is the better part of valour here, and I backed 

 my way most cautiously out. I began to guess what it was. It was a Capybara 

 trap — the stakes on each side were to lead the animal into the trap, and the trap 

 itself was an enormous mass of stone placed on some timbers which rested on 

 the stakes on each side, poised so accurately and gingerly that the slightest 

 displacement of one of these stakes would remove the support and allow the 

 mass to fall. As soon as I got free from it I made my way to its outside, gave 

 one of the stakes supporting it a kick with my foot, when the mass immediately 

 came down by the run. Any animal under it must have been crushed to death. 

 Had I not chanced to observe the stakes I should most certainly have been 

 killed or disabled, and it was a place where, if I had been disabled, I might 

 have lain for days or weeks without any one coming to my rescue or knowing 

 of my fate. — Alexander Fry. 



Mr R. Spruce on Insect Migrations in South America. — 



" The first time I saw a house invaded by Cazadoras was in November 1855, on 

 the forest-slope of Mount Campana, in the eastern Peiiivian Andes. I had 



