On the Potaro. 355 



stalked into the kitchen where some young guinea fowls 

 were being fed and made an attempt to carry one off, but 

 on being pursued by the cook and his assistant, he was 

 made to drop his prey which was picked up gasping its 

 last breath 



The Gama (Polychrus marmoratus) and another dark 

 brown lizard, marked and spotted with black, and having 

 a greenish stripe down its back, were often observed. 

 The latter would sometimes come into the camp and 

 climb about the thatch on the roof in search of crickets 

 and cockroaches. 



I saw and killed two venomous snakes during the trip, 

 both labarrias (Trigonocephalus atrox). Several fine 

 specimens of the aboma, (Epicrates cenchria) and one 

 or two large anacondas, or water camoodies (F.une6les 

 murinus) were met with, and our men reported several 

 others, so that snakes may be said to be fairly numerous. 



No very great variety of fish inhabit the tributary 

 streams of Potaro. The himara (Macrodon trahira), 

 " hoorie" and " yarrow" being the only kinds we saw, 

 but in the river itself pacu (Myletes asterias) cartaback 

 (Tetragonopterus s\i,) the low-low (Piratinga reticulata) 

 and several others are however to be obtained. 



As the dry season sets in, swarms of cow-flies Taba- 

 nidce) make their appearance, and with them their 

 hereditary foes the green and black banded sand wasps. 

 An ugly brown earthworm nearly three feet in length, 

 then leaves its burrow in the parched earth and crawls 

 slowly over the pathways in search of moisture. The 

 small creeks dry up almost entirely, or dwindle to tiny 

 streams, the tree fogs utter their hoarse cries less often 

 at nightfall and the wood-ants (Termites) when crossing 



