10 FISHES OF WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA 
of rearing fish to feed the egrets, and secondarily for the sake of restocking 
the streams. How to enforce respect of their charter, and how to develop 
a fisheries industry from nothing, without experience, are two large problems 
confronting the concessionaires. They do not seem to regard it a difficult 
matter to secure a revocation of the American law forbidding the importation 
of egret to this country. 
Seventy years ago Bates predicted the rapid extinction of the turtles of the 
Amazon. In spite of an enormous consumption of turtles and eggs that has 
continued from that day to this, they are still very abundant. Petroleum 
has replaced turtle oil since that time, but turtle eggs, meat, and viscera con- 
tinue to be favorite articles of food. 
An effort was made by the expedition to confirm the widespread urinophilous 
reputation of the candiru (carnero of Peru). A Briggs’ lead-in trap properly 
baited was frequently placed in rivers in the hope that it might demonstrate 
such a tropism. This was never successful. Nor did careful inquiry ever 
lead to the finding of an authentic case of parasitism of man by this fish. 
That it is strongly tropic to flesh or blood has been demonstrated. 
The Oriente of Peru was not found by the writer to be, as we are encouraged 
to believe, wholly a land of dismal forests, swamps, noxious animals, and 
fevers. All these elements are present in quantity, certainly, but by no 
means universally distributed. Only once have I seen a large boa, and very 
few small snakes. Mr. Mitchell of Yurimaguas states that he has seen but 
four boas in twenty years’ residence in Amazonia. Some rivers, e.g., the 
Pacaya, are full of alligators, but many rivers have almost none. Only one 
region visited, that of the upper Maranon, was badly infested with fever. 
Insect pests were numerous, and of many sorts, but not so intolerable as often 
represented by travelers. 
The realization of Humboldt’s dream does not seem imminent. Such 
difficulties as those of transportation, climate, inundation, and an untaught, 
unambitious population, must be overcome before Peruvian Amazonia shall 
come to her own. 
CHRONOLOGY AND ITINERARY OF THE IRWIN AND 
CENTENNIAL EXPEDITIONS 
June 18, 1918 Left Bloomington, Indiana, with Professor C. H. Eigenmann 
and daughter, Adele; June 19, Arr. New Orleans; June 19-July 23 Awaiting pass- 
ports at New Orleans and Bay Saint Louis; July 24 Released by State Department, 
sailed on 8.8. Carrillo; July 26 Arr. Havana, Cuba; 28 Departed Havana; August 
1, 1918 Arrived Cristobal-Colon, C.Z.; 5 Transited Panama Canal; 9 Landfall 
Payta, Peru; 10 Eten, Pacasmayo; 11 Salaverry; 12 Callao and Lima; 13-18 
Making contact with officials, arranging letters, permits; 16-17 Fishing Rio Rimac 
at Lima; 18 Sunday excursion and reconnaissance of upper Rio Rimac to Rio 
Blanco; 20 Fishing above Cerro San Cristobal in Rimac; 22 Enroute to Chosica; 
23-25 Fishing between trains in middle Rimac; 26 Enroute to Rio Blanco; 26-27 
Adjustment to high elevation; 28 Train to Oroya; 29-380 Preparing equipment for 
dividing forces; 31 Train to Junin. 
