320 TIMEHRI. 
rare and beautiful flowering plants, of which I was most 
struck by the Befarias—the roses of the South American 
Alps- —which formed great bushes and contributed to the 
unexampled beauty of the savannah by their splendid 
blossoms. 
_Along the bank of the river thickets of the magnificent 
Kielmeyera angustifolia were growing and covered with 
splendid, large, carmine, oleander-like flowers, which 
under the sun’s rays dazzled the eyes with their brilliant 
colour—a splendid foreground to the ultramarine and 
violet slopes of Roraima that rose behind with its proud 
red and yellow glowing sandstone cliffs and silver 
water-falls precipitating from the top. Isolated rocks 
on the river bank were nearly covered with great clumps 
of Cattleya labiata (Lawrenciana ?) on the flower-stems 
of which I often counted fifteen or sixteen magnificent 
qlossoms. Among these the splendid flowering Cypri- 
pedium Lindleyanum also grew most exuberantly. 
While standing for some time on an old hollow trunk 
lying beside the river | was wakened from my musings 
by a scratching and scraping inside. I kept very quiet, 
an‘l watched the entrance for some time until the pointed 
yellow head of an animal was protruded. It cautiously 
peeped out, and believing itself safe, brought its whole 
body from of the hole. It was an ant-eater (Myrmeco- 
phaga tetradactyla) which lived in the hollow stem and 
was now going out to look for his supper, since no ants 
were to be found in his home. Unfortunately for him, 
fate had brought him under my observation, and as soon 
as he found himself in the savannah I jumped and tried 
to seize him. This however was not so easy, as On my 
coming near he defended himself so bravely with the 
