60 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



we had the experience of living in a large, airy, palm-leaf house set 

 on piles on the swampy river bank, and at the same time enjoying 

 this modern luxury. 



Pickersgill was the best region for collecting that we found. The 

 river people were anxious to help us, and animal life was fairly 

 abundant. The things one does not catch are often the most interest- 

 ing. We had the pleasure of seeing a troup of seven otters on the 

 river, some of them sliding down the bank into the water and the 

 others swimming with their heads held high up to observe us in our 

 boat. 



Five hours up the river from Pickersgill was a lumber camp, named 

 for Mr. Laulys, the resident manager. 1'he cam]) consisted of three 

 sideless houses, the largest of which was 8 by 10 feet. This was 

 turned over to us, and palm-leaf sides put on to give us a little privacy. 

 It was jungle life de luxe, for Mr. Laulys even cut a trail for us 

 down to a little clear-water bathing pool. A cage with two live curas- 

 sows in it serving as our table and two equipment boxes for chairs 

 comfortably furnished our house. From the uprights were hung our 

 hammocks. 



Game was abundant, and in the newly cleared areas on the forest 

 and along the wood trails were obtained a fair number of specimens, 

 including Anilius scytale, a small brilliant red and black burrowing 

 snake related to the boas, and as far as we know the first to come 

 alive into any collection. Seventeen Indians and Negroes, engaged in 

 felling greenheart trees and roughing them into logs, kept on the alert 

 for specimens. One morning Mrs. Mann discovered a specimen of the 

 'jumping Johnnie" (Liophis sp. — ), a small snake which has the 

 under side of its tail colored a brilliant red. When picked up it goes 

 through the motions of stinging with its tail, hitting the hand that holds 

 it again and again with the vivid red tip. Unfortunately this speci- 

 men died before we could exhibit it in Washington. 



Our time was much too short at Laulys Camp and we left with 

 deep regret. From Pickersgill we made one short excursion up 

 Tapacuma Creek, a winding, black-water stream, with Indian villages 

 scattered along the bank. At its very end there is an incline to about 

 15 feet above, which takes one to the Essequibo drainage basin — one 

 steps abruptly from dense jungle country to open savannah land. We 

 spent two days here at the Indian Mission School and were hospitably 

 entertained by the schoolmaster in charge. We obtained from the 

 Indians several parrots and other birds. 



When we left Pickersgill finally we had 37 crates of specimens. On 

 our way up the Pomeroon more than two weeks before, the little 



