147 



particularly Africans and Indians, who delight in eating a 

 grilled •' bahiche," with a lime and pepper sauce. 



In fact, whilst coining down the Caroni river, in a couriale, 

 some years ago, with His Excellency, Sir Arthur Gordon, from 

 the Compensation Estate, a distance of about 22 miles to the 

 Embouchure, we saw, a little below Porto Grande, hang- 

 ing in a hut near the bank, a young alligator roasted 

 entire, of which, at my suggestion, Sir Arthur, with his 

 usual pluck did not hesitate to taste a piece of the tail, dressed 

 as above, which he prnnounced to be '' not at all bad " 



L am afraid, gentlemen. I have extended to too great a 

 length this little g issiping about my meetings with alligators, 

 and I mu>t apologize and crave your indulgence for having thus 

 given way to the pleasure of bringing back old fond recollec- 

 tions cf my young sporting days. 



If agreeable to you, I may give you later some similar ones 

 of my snake and fi-hing experiences, but I must now thank you 

 for the attention with which you have so patiently listened to 

 this very tame and unadorned narrative. 



6th January, 1898. 



SOME PECULIAR lYPES OP TRINIDAD 

 RHYNOHOPHOROUS BEETLES. 



By H. Caracciolo, President. 



Amongst the insects most injurious to vegetation are the 

 weevils. They do an immense injury to man, and represent the 

 largest number of species of any of the other orders here. They 

 ettack our plants in various ways, some living on the sap, some 

 on the flovvers, and cthets in the fruits themselves. Almost 

 every fruit tree is subject to the attack of one or more of these 

 weevils. The l.irge tr es are not spared, and our garden plants, 

 corn, peas and o her grain are greitly exposed to their ravages. 

 The larva? of s -me of thesebeetles aie intt-riuil fet'ders, wliileothers 

 like thebright caterpillars o^ Lepidoptera, live quite exposed and 

 even form network cocoons. The antennas of these beetles are 

 generally short though there are some few exceptions, whilst 

 some are covered with spikes, knobs and sharp edges, and 

 exhibit some very quaint figures. There is a pecu- 

 liarity, however, which I have not observed, but which is 

 recorded by Mr. T. W. Wollaston as being so interesting that I 

 thought you would be pleased to hear it. He says that during 



