172 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 



culty lower myself. Below was a cave about three meters deep and 

 large enough to hold several men. Both of these caves are inhabited 

 by bats, and the lower one contains numerous lizards. 



The barrenness of the hills is increased several fold in the plains 

 excepting at the mouth of a valley. The surface of the plain is un- 

 dulating only slightly and in few places. It is for the most part 

 sandy, reddish near the hills and white toward the sea. In places, 

 notably between San Antonio and the sea, the surface is covered with 

 irregular broken rock, small fragments, angular, and very little 

 weathered. By the sea the plains contain several lagoons as may 

 be noted on the map. 



On the plain a mile inland from Juan Griego is a small pond of 

 brackish water always turbid and used merely for laundry purposes. 

 At Punta Moreno is a small lagoon connected by a narrow outlet 

 to the bay of Porlamar. At Punta IMosquito is Laguna Chica sur- 

 rounded by mangroves. This is about six kilometers long and navi- 

 gable by sloops. At Punta Mangles and at Punta Piedras are also 

 small lagoons and mangrove swamps. The lagoon at Punta Piedras 

 is open to the sea by an inlet about one meter deep and six meters 

 wide. Inside the mangrove border is a clear circular body of water 

 about one-half kilometer across. 



From the above description of the eastern end, it is hoped that a 

 good idea of the physical features may be derived. When the dis- 

 tribution of the plants is discussed the picture of the district will be 

 more complete. Then one may see along the shore at intervals the 

 mangrove-bordered lagoons, then stretching inland the sandy plain 

 dotted with the cactus and low shrubs exposed to the burning sun; 

 the brown hills with small dead bushes, the valleys with the waving 

 coconut palms and higher up the green-clad mountain side with 

 the top reaching into the clouds. 



The land intervening between the two ends is for the most part a 

 large mangrove swamp, open to the sea on the north side and a short 

 distance on the south side. Although the lagoon is about eleven 

 kilometers long, it has very little clear water. 



The western end of the island is of much less importance than 

 the eastern. The conditions recorded here are taken from the meager 

 encyclopedic references and from the observations which I made from 

 the distant San Juan Mountain and on the Coche-Punta Piedras 

 voyage and on board the steamship from Porlamar to La Guaira and 

 also from reports of the natives. 



