134 ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCHES ' 



dew in such abundance as to compensate sufficiently the 

 want of rain. It is therefore not strange to meet, during 

 the dry season , but little variation in the appearance of 

 the flora and fauna of the country. The cotton-tree (Erio- 

 dendron anfractuosum) changes its foliage and stands about 

 a fortnight entirely leafless , and on its newly developed 

 buds feed, during the night, whole flocks of fruit-eating 

 bats. 



The grassy plains are frequently set fire to by the na- 

 tives and a good deal especially of lower animal life is des- 

 troyed by the fire. The open sweet-water-swamps become 

 smaller every day and their inhabitants, amongst which 

 some species of fishes ^ especially of the genus Ophiocepha- 

 lus , bury themselves in the mud at some depth to await , 

 in a state of torpor, the delivering rains. As soon as these 

 swamps are covered with a solid crust , they are visited by 

 Negro-w^omen who know tolerably well the places where 

 fish may be found and make sometimes a good harvest. 



Towards the end of February the sky becomes covered 

 with clouds , and rolling thunder leads us every day to ex- 

 pect the long wished for tornado, though our hopes are 

 again and again disappointed. A.t length , preceded by vio- 

 lent hurricanes , capable of rooting up trees of mammoth- 

 like dimensions, the tornado bursts, the first rain falls. 

 Later on the rains become more frequent till , towards the 

 end of April, they are daily phenomena. 



During the month of May the daily showers gradually 

 pass over into the regular fall of the rainy season. Rain- 

 less days soon become scarce and the sun , though stand- 

 ing twice , during this season — in April and August — 

 perpendicularly above the country , is hardly able to pene- 

 trate the cloudy sky. 



Already in March the birds begin moulting, and moult- 

 ing birds are still to be found in July. During this time 

 they live more retired than ever, so that several species 

 then are scarcely to be obtained. As the plumage of the 

 birds is , during that time , generally imperfect , bird-collect- 



Notes from the Leyden ^luseura , Vol. VII. 



