FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 233 



saw several traces of otters, and al one place we found the 

 remnants of one of these gentlemen's dinners in the shape of fish 

 scales, which it is well known otters do not eat. The number 

 and beauty of the Micro-lepidoptera was conspicuous, audit would 

 well repay the trouble to spend a fortnight in this locality to 

 collect them. The scenery of the Oropouche river which we 

 ascended was grand. Rich vegetation on the bank, changing 

 every now and then into perpendicular walls of crystalline 

 limestone, made the scenery uncommonly beautiful, the only thing- 

 wanting perhaps being the graceful bamboos of our suburbs. 

 The river is about the size of the St. Joseph River with 

 more water at this time of the year and with beautiful 

 basins. After enjoying a bath in a large pool we bent our 

 way homewards through the rich vega, spending a long time 

 collecting shells. The forest is here very dense and damp and 

 right through the woods are scattered upheavals of tremendous 

 boulders of crystalline limestone on which were to be found the 

 shells Cylindrella trinitaria by the hundred hanging to the dry 

 sides of the boulders. Among the vegetable debris that had 

 accumulated in the fissures and depressions of the boulders Cis- 

 tula aripensis was common, also other species, but the latter were 

 fewer, in numbers. There were many interesting insects and 

 spiders, and Polydesmidce to be seen, but all my time was 

 devoted to shells. After a rich harvest of the latter we returned 

 to the house and rested the remainder of the day. Early on 

 Monday morning we commenced making preparations to enter 

 the caves. Before leaving the house our first care was to make 

 torches or as the Spanish peons call them pavils, they consist 

 of old cloth well soaked in melted wax of wild bees belonging to 

 Trigona, a species found commonly about the woods in the hollow 

 trunks of trees. When dry we twisted the cloth into long strips. 

 These the Spaniards say are the only safe lights to enter the 

 caves with, as they cannot be put out by the wind, on the con- 

 trary the stronger the latter the better they burn. After a good 

 breakfast we started for the caves, which are situated about ten 

 minutes walk from the General's house. Passing through the 

 cocoa and ascending the river which takes its rise in the 

 caves we were soon at our destination, making use of a trace 

 that had been cut through gigantic wild tanias growing on the 

 banks of the river. The (iuacharo cave is pierced in the vertical 

 side of a wall of crystalline limestone a hundred feet high, the 

 entrance is about 25 feet in height and about 15 feet broad. 

 Strewn about it are some huge boulders. '1 he first thin-- to 

 greet us was the. smell of the birds and their deposits. They 

 were of a decided "cockroachy" aroma. There are numerous 

 rocky ledges and cavities in the sides. It is difficult for me 

 to judge the distance I penetrated as progress was very slow, but 



