8934 The Zoologist — April, 1874. 



" The road passed along a sandy bridge only a little elevated above the 

 waters of the lake, and the ground on both sides was submerged. As we 

 travelled on we were often startled by hearing sudden plunges into the 

 water not far from us, but our view was so obsti'ucted by bushes that it was 

 some time before we discovered the cause. At last we found that the noise 

 was made by large iguana lizards, some of them three feet long, and very 

 bulky, dropping from the branches of trees, on which they lay stretched, 

 into the water. These iguanas are extremely ugly, but are said to be 

 delicious eating, the Indians being extremely fond of them. The Carca 

 Indians, who live in the forest seven miles from Santa Domingo, travel 

 every year to the great lake to catch iguanas, which abound on the 

 dry hills near it. They seize them as they lay on the branches of the 

 trees, with a loop at the end of a long stick. They then break the 

 middle toe of each foot, and tie the feet together, in pairs, by the 

 broken toes, afterwards sewing up the mouth of the poor reptiles, and 

 carrying them in this state back to their houses in the forest, where they 

 are kept alive until required for food. The racoon-like ' pisoti ' is also fond 

 of them, but cannot so easily catch them. He has to climb every tree, 

 and then, unless he can surprise them asleep, they drop from the branch to 

 the ground and scuttle off to another tree. I once saw a solitary pisoti 

 hunting for iguanas amongst some bushes near the lake, where they are 

 voiy numerous, but during the quarter of an hour that I watched him he 

 never caught one. It was like the game of ' puss in the corner.' He 

 would ascend a small tree on which there were several; but down they 

 would drop when he had nearly reached them, and rush off to another tree. 

 Master ' Pisoti,' however, seemed to take all his disappointments with the 

 greatest coolness, and continued the pursuit unflaggingly. Doubtless expe- 

 rience had taught him that his perseverance would ultimately be rewarded : 

 that sooner or later he would surprise a corpulent iguana fast asleep ou 

 some branch, or too late in dropping from his resting-place. In the forest 

 I always saw the 'pisoti' hunting in large bands, from which an iguana 

 would have small chance of escape, for some were searching along the 

 ground, whilst others ranged over the branches of the trees." — P. 338. 



I have one more word to say, and that is to express my gratitude : 

 I feel truly grateful for the information I have gained with so little 

 labour and with such abundant pleasure. May Mr. Belt live long 

 to explore other countries, and may he record thus agreeably all 

 his explorations, — aye, and all his theories. 



Edward Newman. 



