Along the Essequebo and Potaro, 



By the Editor. 



ARLY in March, an unexpected opportunity of 

 a month's collecting trip offered itself, and the 

 Essequebo and the Lower Potaro were selected 

 as the districts to be visited — the former, through the; 

 probability of procuring large animals of their kind 

 more especially reptiles and fish, such as the cayman 

 and laulau ; and the latter, as a more zoologically un- 

 known district. 



Starting from Georgetown on the 7th by the steamer 

 for Bartica, we made arrangements for a boat and crew, 

 with a special captain and bowman, to be ready to start 

 early on Monday, the nth, from the Grove; and in the 

 meantime ascended the Mazaruni to the Marshall Falls. 

 Little of interest, however, was obtained, the most de- 

 sirable specimen being a fine male of one of the red- 

 backed hangnests (Cassicus a (finis). In the forest, 

 behind the Indian settlements above St. Edward's, bell- 

 birds (Chasmorhynchus niveus) seemed to be plentiful ; 

 but they were difficult to find, being perched high up 

 out of range on the topmost branches of huge trees. 



On the Monday morning just before getting ready to 

 start, we fortunately discovered that the keel of the boat 

 that was most suitable for our journey, had been badly 

 damaged in one of the cataracts, on the way down from 

 the Puruni, a few days previously ; and, as the damage had 

 not been reported by the captain, we were now delayed 

 for more than a day, while a new plank was put 



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