FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 23 



caripensis of Humbolt), and of which, in spite of the real diffi- 

 culties of getting at them, as stated by Dr. Leotaud, the destruction 

 appears to me to be much more feared than he seems to believe. 

 I have myself, not many years ago, taken with my own hands, 

 in the caves at the top of the cabeceras of Oropouche, no less than 

 175 Guacharos, which, if I had not done so, would have no doubt 

 been caught next day by a party of greedy Spaniards whom I had 

 left at the foot of the mountain, preparing for an excursion to 

 those caves. 



1G. This quantity may give an idea of how the destruction 

 of those birds must inevitably be on its way, unless some measures 

 be taken to prevent it. 



17. That the " Diablotins" are getting every year scarcer, is 

 proved by the very limited number of them to be, now, seen 

 offered for sale in the markets, where they are always much 

 " recherches" as tit bits to be only procured once a year, and 

 where, some fifteen or twenty yeai's ago, they were in their 

 season, abundantly found either fresh and alive, or " boucanes/' 



18. In fact, I am told that in some caves (cuevas) they have 

 already almost disappeared, whilst the numbers of those, in some 

 other caves which I have recently visited, both at Monos and 

 Huevos, as well as at Aripo and Oropouche, seemed to me to be 

 certainly considerably less than I saw before, only a few years 

 ago. 



19. It would, thei'efoi'e, be advisable to forbid the young- 

 birds being taken away, for at least two or three years to come. 



20. In concluding these very incomplete notes, I must crave 

 indulgence for the scanty information they may contain, but 

 having done my best to meet the object in view, it is no fault of 

 mine if I have not succeeded in furnishing more precise data 

 towards the framing of the new Ordinance for " the protection of 

 wild birds." 



I have the honour be, 

 Sir, 

 Your obedient humble servant, 



SYL. DEVENISH, 



Sec. Corr. Com. Society of Arts. 



P.S. — I enclose the schedules you have sent me, filled up at 

 your request with the popular names of the birds, in alphabetical 

 order. 



