FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 19 



a glorious " Emperor" (Jforpho pehides) which had just passed 

 almost under my nose, and was now winging its way with leap- 

 ing flight to the hills beyond the cultivation, giving me occasional 

 glimpses of its glorious azure wings as it went. Digging into the 

 trunk of the treel unearthed an undeveloped millipede (julussp.Jor 

 congori, and the larvae of the ordinary boring beetle. In the 

 trees above the shrill tones of the cicada rose and fell, I suppose 

 in accordance with the insect's feelings, while on the cocoa tree to 

 my right a pupa shell still clung, as it did when the insect 

 emerged in its perfect state upon the great world. 



Rain drops now began to fall thickly, so I was obliged to 

 beat a hasty retreat to the house, where I waited with impatience 

 for the rain to cease. Sallying forth as soon as the shower was over, 

 I went on this occasion towards the river, which flows in front of the 

 house, and strolled along the bank. Here, in the deep pools, were to 

 beseenfishof variouskinds. Shoals of sardines ( Hydrocyon sp.) with 

 silver sides and red tipped tails, strove against the current, and now 

 and thenoneroseat afly. Near the bottom of these poolsthe guabines 

 ( Erythrinussp.) lay ever ready for their prey, as they are most vora- 

 cious fish, and below them on the rocks and stones in the bed of the 

 river, holding on by their sucker like appendages, were to be seen 

 the curious and uninviting mama cascadura. In holes in the 

 rocks on the sides of the river, lurked crayfish of various sizes, 

 and inquisitive natures, ready to pounce on their unsuspecting 

 prey. Close in shore, in the dead water of the reaches, might be 

 seen small fry ( Cyprinodonta and Girardini). In the ooze of the 

 pools water snails are lying and on the surface skims a curious 

 spider-like insect. Under the rocks and stones in the uncovered 

 portion of the river bed, small crabs ( Gecarcums sp.) abound and 

 now and then a frog or an ugly toad is disturbed in his day 

 sleep. Over head and around the dragon flies cruised up and 

 down, or rested motionless on twigs and leaves over the water. 



Afternoon was drawing to a close when I turned home- 

 wards from this pleasant walk, and instead of retracing my steps, 

 I selected a path which led through another bit of cocoa cultiva- 

 tion, in which on some shade tree a species of cicada known as 

 the " razor grinder" was making the little dell resound with his 

 evening song. A curious object, some distance off, mounting the 

 trunk of a tree by a series of jerks, and resembling a squirrel, 

 next attracted my attention. It turned out to be that most use- 

 ful bird the Charpentier or Carpenter (a species of Dendroco- 

 laptes) whose searching eye and powerful bill never fails to 

 destroy the guilty insect which, perhaps, is sapping the life of 

 the tree. 



This bird was at one time shot down wherever found, 

 by the cocoa planter, from whom it x-eceived the wrong 



