128 JOURNAL OP THE TRINIDAD 



specimen was taken at St. Ann's. Mr. Caracciolo said that he 

 had kept a live specimen of this insect in confinement and it did 

 not emit any light and he doubted very much whether the insect 

 was capable of producing light, and probably the light attributed 

 to these insects really came from the "candle flies " ( Elateridace). 

 A coral snake, Flaps riisei presented by Mr. Maingot was exhi- 

 bited. The Secretary on behalf of Mr. C. J. Thavenot exhibited 

 a large skin of a Trinidad otter Lutra insular is which he killed 

 at Princes Town. Mr. Thavenot was in a tree watching for 

 agouti when the otter made a rush at one which had just been 

 shot and immediately fell a victim to Mr. Thavenot's second 

 barrel. After deciding that the monthly meetings of the Club 

 should take place on the second Friday of the month, instead of 

 the first, as hitherto, the meeting adjourned at 9.30. 



CLUB PAPERS. 



FRIENDS AND ENEMIES. 



By F. W. Uricii, F.E.S., 



IN the great struggle for existence which is perpetually going 

 on between animals of different species, various orders of 

 plants, and animals and plants, there are many interesting facts 

 which are not commonly known to the great majority of the 

 human race, but it is generally admitted that we owe a great 

 proportion of the immunity we enjoy from the annoyances of 

 certain creatures to the presence of others who prey upon those 

 who constitute themselves the unrelenting persecutors of man. 

 "Were it not for these humble friends the human race would eke 

 out but a miserable existence and in some cases would perish 

 miserably altogether. As a rule our benefactors are x-ecognized 

 and protected, but in this category there are included many 

 impostors who have only found favour through being possessed 

 of outward beauty or grace, while in reality they are constantly 

 engaged in one form or another in doing harm to mankind. 

 Others again Ave class among our enemies, because of their 

 rude, uncouth forms, uncanny appearance, or because their 

 habits are but imperfectly understood and their actions, which 

 are really beneficial in their results, are regarded as destructive 

 and mischievous. It is chicly the cause of our persecuted friends 



