100 



pidity, A few lumdred feet further, and Ave surprise a pair of 

 teguexin lizards,* each about two feet long. They are in first- 

 rate condition, and their scaly mail of yellow and black 

 shines iridescently in the midday sun as they greedily 

 discuss the head and fore-part of a large fish, which 

 has either been stranded on the mud, or forms the re- 

 mains of the repast of some fishing hawk or perhaps 

 of that rare beast, the Trinidad otter, Avhich Mr. Oldfield 

 Thomas of the British Museum is so eager to examine. Such a 

 chance of good specimens is not to be missed. " You take the 

 one on the left, I'll look after the right," I say. One rolls over, 

 the other lies still astonished at the noise, but unAvounded, as 

 owing to something having gone wrong only one gun Avas fired. 

 We roAv to the place. The unAvounded " mat " scampers off and 

 the other one tries to folloAV suit, but he is too much hurt and 

 is easily taken and deposited in the bottom of the boat. 



Shortly afterAvards A\'e pull up to the bank and moor our 

 boat Avhile Ave refresh ourselves. But on such an excursion as 

 this the time seems Avasted unless e\'ery moment is taken up 

 with Avatching land and Avater, tree, bush, and air. We therefore 

 launch forth again and drift doAvn Avith the stream on our home- 

 Avard journey. A bird, like a Avater fowl, having very sharp 

 spurs on the Aving — probably the jacanaf so fully described by 

 Waterton in his "Travels," is secured, likeAvise an alligator 

 Avhich presented a tempting shot on the bank. On and on Ave 

 drift, the boatmen just keeping our craft in mid-stream. A 

 mass of foliage hanging over the river calls for unusual scrutiny 

 and Urich quietly remarks " there's onr Xij)}ioso)iia." The boat 

 is stopped but peer as I may I cannot see the brute so skilfully 

 has he hidden himself. I see a snake's slough or cast skin in the 

 branches, but that is all. The boat is got into a favourable pos- 

 ition and Avith a long bamboo Urich turns aside the leaves and 

 there sure enough, are the loose coils of a yelloAvish broAvn 

 snake. " Garamightee Mr. Urich, he Cascabel Dormillon, yo' 

 nebah hold him ' says Seaton. " If you bring that one into the 

 boat Sir, I am going ashore," exclaims Crooks, his confrere. 

 " He deadly poison if he 'ting yo' ; shoot him sah." "Now don't 

 you tAvc make asses of yourselves, he Avon't bite any more than 

 a baby ; you do as your told and keep the boat up so that Ave 

 can snare him. The snake is lying in a thick mass of foliage 

 some ten feet above our heads. The boat is brought up and Ave 

 tAvo stand in the boAvs, the one Avith the snare — a Avire noose on 

 a long stick — and the other with a simple bamboo to stir up the 

 snake Avith. " Ugh ! there he is," and Seaton in an agony of 



* Tejus teguexin. t Parra jacana. 



