A SARIEMA 221 



of steep valleys and broad basins and up and down hills. 

 In the deep valleys were magnificent woods, in which 

 giant rubber-trees towered, while the huge leaves of the 

 low-growing pacova, or wild banana, were conspicuous 

 in the undergrowth. Great azure butterflies flitted 

 through the open, sunny glades, and the bell-birds, 

 sitting motionless, uttered their ringing calls from the 

 dark stillness of the columned groves. The hillsides 

 were grassy pastures, or else covered with low, open 

 forest. 



A huge frog, brown above, with a light streak down 

 each side, was found hiding under some sticks in a damp 

 place in one of the improvised kitchens ; and another 

 frog, with discs on his toes, was caught on one of the 

 tents. A coral- snake puzzled us. Some coral-snakes are 

 harmless ; others are poisonous, although not aggressive. 

 The best authorities give an infallible recipe for dis- 

 tinguishing them by the pattern of the colours, but this 

 particular specimen, although it corresponded exactly 

 in colour-pattern with the description of the poisonous 

 snakes, nevertheless had no poison-fangs that even 

 after the most minute examination we could discover. 

 Miller and one of the dogs caught a sariema — a big 

 long-legged, bustard-like bird — in rather a curious way. 

 We were on the march, plodding along through as 

 heavy a tropic downpour as it was our ill-fortune to 

 encounter. The sariema, evidently as drenched and 

 uncomfortable as we were, was hiding under a bush to 

 avoid the pelting rain. The dog discovered it, and 

 after the bird valiantly repelled him. Miller was able to 

 seize it. Its stomach contained about half a pint of 

 grasshoppers and beetles and young leaves. At Vilhena 

 there was a tame sariema, much more familiar and at 

 home than any of the poultry. It was without the 



