774 MR. B. E. AUSTEN ON A KECKNT ZOOLOaiCAL [JlinelC, 



Pishes. — 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 Para River renders it impossible to see anything beneath the 

 surface. However, it may perhaps be mentioned tliat a species of 

 Cat-fish (Siluridas) is extremely abundant in the Parii River, and 

 appears to afford the chief occupation to the numerous fishing- 

 boats. When landing on the shores of the Pani 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 ^s to its affinities. 



MoLLTJSKS. — The shells of two or three species of Amjmllaria 

 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. 



Insects. — 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 tolal (470) ; next come 

 the Hymenoptera (415), the Lepidoptera Ileterocera (390), and 

 the Coieoptera (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 most 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 (Tabcmus) 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 



