Along the Esseouero and Potaro. 153 



tyus accipitrinus) with its gorgeous ere6tile ruff of blue 

 and red feathers ; of the scarlet-headed fall-bird (Paro- 

 aria %ularis) ; and of the yellow hangnest or mocking- 

 bird (Cassicus persicus) and other specimens. Parrots, 

 macaws, king-fishers, herons, ibises, bitterns, ducks, 

 tanagers, shrikes, swallows, doves, etc., were plentiful, 

 but in our short stay they were not obtainable. A few 

 insects and some interesting shells, chiefly bivalves, were 

 also collected. 



The specimens of fish caught, though few in number, 

 were very interesting in kind. Two perai (Serrasahno) 

 were taken by the hook, and one of these was placed in 

 spirit, while the other, a large one, was placed overnight 

 in a pool of water hollowed out in the sand, from the 

 bottom of which a large quantity of decayed vegetable 

 matter was taken to deepen it for the wide body of the 

 perai. The specimen died and became spoilt before 

 morning ; but the trouble of making the pond was re- 

 warded by two most interesting species of small Siluroids 

 which were taken out among the mixed sand and de- 

 caying leaves. Both species are referable to the Loricaria 

 or mailed Siluroids, and are allied to the hassars (Call- 

 ichthys) from which, however, they differ considerably in 

 form, having depressed bodies rapidly decreasing in size to 

 the tail, with the mouth quite on the under aspect of the 

 body and almost destitute of distinct barbels, and with tails 

 of unusual shape — in one form almost destitute of an upper 

 lobe, and in the other with each lobe drawn out into a 

 very long thread-like process. In the latter specimen, 

 the front of the head is produced into an elongated 

 rostrum, so that the form is evidently referable to the 

 genus Acestra, and differing from the A. amazonum 



U 



