BLUEFIELDS EIVER. 7y 



ovnng to the structure of the spines above described, 

 the threads were caught by them every moment, and 

 it was not possible to make them reach the root of 

 the spines. This plan therefore would not do. 

 Then I took a thread, and having tied a bit of stick 

 transversely at one end, passed the other end, by 

 means of a long needle, through the anal orifice, and 

 brought it out at the mouth. The piece of stick re- 

 tained the Echinus on the thread, suspended in the 

 air, while the free end was tied to the branch of. a 

 tree. The long spines thus hung downwards, and 

 presently assumed their natural divergence, in which 

 position the wind soon dried them immoveably ; and 

 I thus had the pleasure of preserving the natural ap- 

 pearance of these fine Echini in great perfection. 



BLUEFIELDS RIVER. 



To have a permanent supply of clear, pure water 

 is a very important advantage in a climate, where, 

 during the long droughts, unmitigated by a single 

 shower, the pastures become burned up, and the 

 cattle lanjruish for want of ffrass as well as water :— 



nulla neque amnem 



Libavit quadrupes, nee graminis attigit herbam." 



ViRG. 



At such periods, in many cases, the only resource is 

 a filthy pond, whence the water has to be fetched 

 several miles. The beasts are fed on the berries of 

 the Bastard-cedar {Guazuma ulmifolia), which are 

 very mucilaginous, and on the leaves of the Bread-nut 

 {Brosimum alicastrum), great bundles of which are 



