774 MR. B.E. AUSTEN ON A RECENT ZOOLOGICAL = [June 16, 
Frisuus.—Even had our fish-trap not been lost before it had done 
any service we should have had but little time to devote to fish- 
collecting. As it was I was unable to make any observations 
worth noting, since the colour of the water of the Amazon and 
the Pard River renders it impossible to see anything beneath the 
surface. However, it may perhaps be mentioned that a species of 
Cat-fish (Siluride) is extremely abundant in the Parad River, and 
appears to afford the chief occupation to the numerous fishing- 
boats. When landing on the shores of the Para River or of the 
lower reaches of the Amazon a small fish, looking something like 
a Gurnet, is frequently seen leaping along the surface of the 
water. It appears to represent a Flying-fish in a semi-evolved 
condition, and is known to the English residents at Para as the 
‘“‘ Uplooker,” but, as I was unable to secure a specimen, I cannot 
say anything as to its affinities. 
Mo.uusks.—The shells of two or three species of Ampullaria 
were common enough in the forests near the river, but most of 
them were dead and consequently of little value as specimens ; 
we were told that the natives living on the banks use these great 
Snails as food. 
Insrots.—The total number of Insects of all Orders collected 
amounted to about 2500, a figure which might have been exceeded 
considerably had any special attempt been made to secure Butter- 
flies ; it was, however, deemed advisable to devote most attention 
to the more obscure and less popular Orders. The time of year, 
being at the commencement of the rainy season, was probably not 
the most favourable one for Insect-collecting, as, with the excep- 
tion of Dragonflies, Insects were not so abundant as might have 
been expected. Of the specimens obtained of the various Orders 
the Diptera form the largest individual total (476); next come 
the Hymenoptera (415), the Lepidoptera Heterocera (390), and 
the Coleoptera (280). Allusion has already been made to the 
number of insects that visited the ship’s electric lights at night. 
Although after dark all the lighted parts of the ship formed more 
or less happy hunting-grounds, two reflectors, each containing six 
glow-lamps of 16 candle-power, which hung over the ‘ Faraday’s’ 
stern, were the must productive. These lights were always kept 
going during cable-laying by night, and when we happened to be 
anywhere near either shore the number of insects that visited 
them was most remarkable. Of these nocturnal visitants Moths 
naturally formed the largest proportion, but, curiously enough, a 
small species of Horse-fly (Tabanus) also came in large numbers, 
besides certain other smaller Diptera, all of which are usually 
supposed to be diurnal. When we were at anchor off some of the 
small towns the ‘ Faraday’s’ projector lamp, which gave a beam 
of light equivalent to that of from 25,000 to 30,000 candles, was 
occasionally used to astonish the inhabitants, and never failed to 
attract numbers of insects, especially some of the larger Moths 
