FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 157 



somewhat open spot with an exquisite bit of tropical scenery. A 

 huge Mountain Rose, or Cooperhoop* covered with parasites and 

 liaties overhung the Mamural river. The varied mass of greens, 

 browns and yellows of the Enai*e,f Terite, Manacand other palms, 

 the large leafed Seguines,| the numerous mosses and dried leaves 

 and grass, seemed to present every imaginable shade of colour 

 under the golden rays of brilliant sunshine. The gentle murmur 

 of the streams in which hundreds of little silvery fish were 

 merrily swimming and splashing, added to the charm of what I 

 considered my first glimpse of the beauties of tropical forest 

 scenery. Amongst the insects we found on this occasion in the 

 vicinity of this lovely spot were two species of Eciton ? or hunting 

 ants, some young Acridve, living in the l-olled up leaf of a terite, 

 and a wasp like butterfly. We were shown, amongst the many 

 plants which are valued by the frequenters of the forest, two 

 kinds of Manac, one of which grows singly, the other in stools, 

 but to the inexperienced eye there is no o her distinguishing 

 point. § The latter is said to be a capital antidote to snake poison. 

 There is a curious superstition connected with the portion which 

 is said to have virtue ; only those roots which grow towards the 

 rising sun are said to have any efficacy — the other parts being 

 perfectly useless. 



The next day was the last of our visit to the High AVoods of 

 Caparo and our kind hosts determined that one more effort 

 should be made to show us how the wild hog of the Trinidad 

 woods is hunted. We started off at the usual hour, 8 o'clock, by 

 way of a ridge of hills dividing the Grand Ravine Valley from 

 the Mamural Valley, which we had visited the day befoie. Our 

 party consisted of the Messrs. Carr, and Urich, myself, Boney 

 and Sammy. We were followed by eight dogs. Shortly after we 

 started an agouti was disturbed, but the dogs were called off and 

 not allowed to waste their strength, and our time, in its pursuit. 

 The forest scenery was much of the same description as that 

 which I had seen on the occasion of our first day's exclusion. 

 Upon one of the trees — I forget now what it was — we found 

 vanilla;) in flower and a few moments were sj cut in listening to 

 Mr. Urich's explanations as to how fertilization is acc< mplishedby 

 the aid of birds and insects. Then we 1 egan climbing some 

 exceedingly steep but moderately high hills covered with keen 

 edged razor grass. From the summit of one of them we over- 

 looked what had been a tremendous landslip in which hundreds 



'Broicnca rosa. 



\Geonoma enare. 



\Philodendron sp. 



%Euterpe oleracea and E. surculosus. 



|| Vanilla plan i folia 



