Along the Essequebo and Potaro. 143 



by the Ackavvoi Indians, and the other, a tree-snake, 

 about five feet long, somewhat resembling the labarria. 



The flowering season was long past, and it was but 

 very rarely that either flower or fruit was noticed ; 

 though the dead flowering stems of the large Brocchinia 

 told their own story. Doubtless the scarcity of animal 

 life was in great part dependent on the barrenness of 

 the savannah, a condition that the long drought must 

 have considerably intensified. For two consecutive days 

 the Indian huntsman ranged the district about the falls, 

 and each day returned empty-handed. The collection 

 made in this district was thus of a very limited kind, and 

 consisted but of a few small birds, chiefly bush-shrikes 

 and manakins, such as Pipra suavissima, and a 

 few insects. Attempts had been made to procure the 

 cock of the rock (Rupicola croceaj, the hoarse cry of 

 which was heard on the hill above Tukuie, but without 

 success. A skeleton of a very singular form of well- 

 armoured Siluroid fish, called wata-wata, apparently 

 identical with Plecostomus bicirrhosus, was picked up 

 between the boulders on the cataract below the Kaieteur 

 pool. As already indicated, birds alone seemed to be 

 fairly plentiful along this ravine of the Potaro, and with 

 time to spare for their detailed collection, doubtless a 

 good set might be got together. 



Just above Pacoutout, on the return journey, a young 

 welbiciri or woud-deer (Coassus humilis?) was shot; 

 and the huntsmen brought in, besides, the usual quota of 

 accourie and land-tortoises. The deer, though small, 

 was a most welcome addition to the collection, for 

 hitherto it had been unrepresented in the Museum. The 

 young of the red deer (Coassus rufus) is often con- 



