14 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. 



bedecked with long streamers, which gave no end of trouble 

 before they were quieted. They were pale yellow, and the 

 head and back were encased in bone; Maestro the cook 

 called them the crucifix fish, and later showed us why. On 

 the under surface of the bony armor is a large cross with a 

 halo about it just above the arms. The crew never caught 

 one of these fish without making the sign of the cross in their 

 right palm. 



When the tide was half down the funniest of puff-fishes 

 (Calomesm psittacus), or tambourines as the Captain called 

 them, would take our bait. They were from three to five 

 inches long, white below, and pale greenish above crossed 

 by seven black bands, the first across the mouth and the 

 seventh at the tip of the caudal fin. There was also a black 

 patch at the base of the pectoral fins. The iris was bright 

 lemon yellow. When gently scratched on the lower parts, 

 or sometimes even when just lifted from the water they 

 would swell up into a round ball. They were covered with 

 short, stiff bristles which stood on end when the fish was in- 

 flated, and their comical appearance was increased by the four 

 rodent-like incisor teeth in the front of the mouth. When 

 thus inflated with air they were helpless for a time, and if 

 thrown back, floated belly upward at the mercy of the wind 

 and current, until they were able to collapse to normal size. 



On one of our first excursions among the mangroves in our 

 small canoe we made a most interesting discovery. Here 

 and there, sprawled out on the mud-flats, were small croc- 

 odiles, and occasionally a large one would rush off into the 

 water at our approach. Hugging the edge of the tide where 

 the ripples lapped back and forth on the black ooze were many 

 other living creatures. For a long time we could not make 

 them out, but finally, drifting silently upon a whole school, 

 we knew them for four-eyed fish (Anableps anableps) 

 strange creatures which we had hoped to see. 



