108 



INTRODUCTION. 



The part a a fronts the current, and at h there is a 

 narrow entrance, which in a winding manner opens 

 at c, in the reservoir d c?, entirely shut in with 

 poles. The fish coming down the river easily enters 

 the camhoa^ but, as in the former instance, it cannot 

 find its way out again. The poles of which it con- 

 sists being of considerable height, it serves equally 

 well when the river is swollen ; it is entered from 

 behin^d ; and there is frequently a kind of grating at 

 half of the whole height of the camboa, to prevent 

 the fish from sinking in the deep, if the river stands 

 very high. "VVe observed here likewise numerous 

 weirs, called cacuri^ which resembled those which 

 are employed for taking the sturgeon in the Havel 

 and other rivers of Germany. 



A peculiar feature of the rivers of Guiana are 

 large inlets, which no doubt have been formed by 

 the river changing its course. These inlets {klra- 

 hagh or itahii) arc narrow at their mouth, but ex- 

 pand considerably when once entered, and are 

 entirely currentless. They are the favourite abode 

 of many fishes, and consequently the haunts of 

 alligators, caymans, and numerous aquatic birds 

 which prey on the finny tribe. The magoari or 

 American stork (Ciconia Americana), the jabiru 

 {Mycteria Americana), the hanura {Ardea coroi), 

 tlie roseate spoonbills (Platalea rosea), the boatbill 

 (Cancroma cochlearia), the pereka {Carlo Brasili- 

 ensis), the American darter {Plotus Americanus), 

 and numerous others, frequent these inlets in search 

 of food. 



