On the Upper Berbice River. 337 



> 



themselves from the high branches into the river, were 

 constantly heard. Alligators were met with for the first 

 time among two of the higher rapids. One specimen 

 {Alligator palpebrosus) was secured with a charge of 

 slugs, and skinned, the reptile being unusually and in- 

 tolerably musky; while another, of a different species 

 {A. sclerops), though nearly drawn into the boat, 

 managed by some vigorous strokes of its tail, to effe6l 

 its escape, and was lost amid the thick masses of the 

 common sheet-like creepers along the riverside. Otters 

 were commonly met with in large flocks, and two large 

 specimens were shot, but being in deep water it was 

 out of the question to get them. Perai of the common 

 species were still abundant and were most easily caught 

 — and their flesh formed a pleasant change — though the 

 Indians who had been with us lower down, gave their 

 diftum that ** Perai bring fever." 



Among the masses of creepers which curtained the 

 banks, a great variety of inse6ls was to be found, but as a 

 rule they were not easy to reach. Two or three species of 

 the tortoise or helmet beetle {Cassida) were secured, the 

 most common being of a fine green colour with a large 

 yellow blotch on each elytron, almost undistinguishable at 

 a little distance from the green surface of the leaves, 

 where the yellow blotches seemed like yellow decaying 

 spots on the leaf itself. 



It was curious how, in nearly all the inse6ls found on 

 these creepers, their colours offered more or less certain 

 protection. With the exception of a small brownish grey 

 proboscis beetle {Rhynchophorus), found either on the 

 yellow fading leaves or on the yellow flowers of the 

 creeper, on which itvvas with difficulty distinguished owing 



