A Botanical Expedition to Nicaragua. 371 



being collected. Birds were quite abundant in the vicinity of 

 Moyogalpa, and at San Carlos where water and swamp spe- 

 cies were abundant, but farther down the river and awav 

 from its immediate shores comparatively few appeared, and 

 these skulked about singly or in pairs in the dense woods or 

 among the jungles which line the smaller tributaries. A few 

 species were found nesting at all the points which were visit- 

 ed, but the nests were not disturbed. 



Reftilia. — Only three species of venomous snakes occur, 

 and specimens of all these were secured. The species are: 

 the Coral Snake, and the two species called by the natives 

 the Tomagog, and the Toboba, as nearly as the writer could 

 get the names. The tirst of these was the only one found on 

 Ometepe; it is not common, and is sluggish and not at all 

 vicious. The second species is generallv found on or near the 

 plantations, and the third, perhaps the most savage and deadly 

 of all, occurs in the woods most commonly. Fortunatelv for 

 the traveller they are nocturnal in their habits, and quite lazy, 

 but one must be careful not to plunge his hand carelessly into 

 any dense clump of vegetation, as it is in such places that 

 these snakes spend the day. 



A number of harmless species were observed, but none 

 were collected on Ometepe because of the scarcity of alcohol. 

 A small Boa, which had been engaged in catching rats was 

 killed on Mr. Smith's cot in Moyogalpa, and was sadlv missed 

 soon after when the rats took possession of the room. A 

 very few specimens were collected along the San Juan, and 

 but few were seen. 



Lizards are exceedingly common everywhere and several 

 species were taken. It was nothing uncommon to hear the 

 Iguana plunge into the water from some overhanging tree- 

 top, or go crashing through the underbrush when disturbed. 

 Small lizards are particularly plentiful, especially in and about 

 houses, and it is an ordinary sight to see a number of these 

 graceful Uttle fellows gHding up and down the walls, and over 

 tables and other objects in the room. Alligators are also very 



