172 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
culty lower myself. Below was a cave about three meters deep and 
large enough to hold several men. Both of these caves are inhabited 
by bats, and the lower one contains numerous lizards. 
The barrenness of the hills is increased several fold in the plains 
excepting at the mouth of a valley. The surface of the plain is un- 
dulating only slightly and in few places. It is for the most part 
sandy, reddish near the hills and white toward the sea. In places, 
notably between San Antonio and the sea, the surface is covered with 
irregular broken rock, small fragments, angular, and very little 
weathered. By the sea the plains contain several lagoons as may 
be noted on the map. 
On the plain a mile inland from Juan Griego is a small pond of 
brackish water always turbid and used merely for laundry purposes. 
At Punta Moreno is a small lagoon connected by a narrow outlet 
to the bay of Porlamar. At Punta Mosquito is Laguna Chica sur 
rounded by mangroves. This is about six kilometers long and nave 
gable by sloops. At Punta Mangles and at Punta Piedras are also 
small lagoons and mangrove swamps. ‘The lagoon at Punta Piedras 
is open to the sea by an inlet about one meter deep and six meters 
wide. Inside the mangrove border is a clear circular body of water 
about one-half kilometer across. 
From the above description of the eastern end, it is hoped tay * 
good idea of the physical features may be derived. When the dis- 
tribution of the plants is discussed the picture of the district will be 
more complete. ‘Then one may see along the shore at intervals the 
mangrove-bordered lagoons, then stretching inland the sandy ae: 
dotted with the cactus and low shrubs exposed to the burning were 
the brown hills with small dead bushes, the valleys with the ee 
coconut palms and higher up the green-clad mountain side wi 
the top reaching into the clouds. 
The land intervening between the two ends is for the most part ak 
large mangrove swamp, open to the sea on the north side and @ sh 
distance on the south side. Although the lagoon is about eleven 
kilometers long, it has very little clear water. 
The western end of the island is of much less importance 
the eastern. The conditions recorded here are taken from the meag® 
encyclopedic references and from the observations which I made ie 
_ the distant San Juan Mountain and on the Coche-Punta ee 
voyage and on board the steamship from Porlamar to La Guaim ” 
also from reports of the natives. 
