[ JOURNAL OF T1IK TMXIDAD 



CLUB PAPERS. 



THE GOLDNEY PRIZE COMPETITION. 

 NOTES BY THE WAYSIDE. 



'"THERE is perhaps no locality in the neighbourhood of Port-of- 

 Spain which is more easily accessible or more likely toyieldgood 

 results to lovers of Natural History than the vicinity of St. Ann's 

 Valley. It was here that the writer of the following notes, and 

 another member of the Club, elected to spend an off day in the 

 early part of last year. A pleasant ride by one of the morning 

 trams brought us very close to the scene of our day's work and 

 pleasure, for Natural History means both to those who are 

 really interested in it. Passing rapidly along over the first few 

 hundred yards of the well kept road, bordered by grassy Savannas 

 in which graze the ugly Indian buffaloes and sleepy but graceful 

 young zebus, the oiF-spring of a stock which a paternal government 

 has successfully introduced to improve the breed of Trinidad 

 cattle, we could not but admire the clumps of bamboo* which 

 adorn the banks of the Dry River and the high ground behind, 

 still crowned by the ruins of the residence of the old Sj>anish 

 Governors. Near the back of the Lunatic Asylum we crossed 

 the fence separating the Savanna from the road and then the 

 bed of the river, which was as dry as possible, though, probably, 

 a week before the coui\se of a raging torrent of storm-water, as 

 perhaps it would be again to-morrow. The wire fence which 

 divides the Savanna from the thick brush-wood covering the 

 North-eastern part of the hill-side, first attracted our notice. 

 Several large black antsf were on the wires and uprights, busily 

 running backwards and forwards in quest of food but what that 

 food consisted of we could not then spare the time to discover. 

 A little further along upon one of the wooden posts of the fence 

 we found a small centipede.;!; His great length and enormous 

 number of legs, exti'aordinary even in a centipede, attracted 

 more than usual attention. He appeared to be in trouble, for 

 strange to say, even centipedes have their trials and do not 

 always find the world " all beer and skittles" — perhaps it would 

 be more correct to say " all cockroaches and rotten wood." 



*Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. 

 jCryptocerus atratus. 

 JGeophilus sp. 



