64 



G. PILLERI 



6.2.1968 

 Rio Ibaré. 



15.50: Strong sun, slight cloud. Température 32°C. One animal sighted in 

 the river by Puerto Almacén. The buffeo dived as soon as the motor boat ap- 

 proached it and changed direction under water. Surfaced behind the boat. Soon 

 lost sight of it. 



14.00: Course downstream. Second buffeo sighted. Pink. It is rolling in the 

 sand in the shallow water among the reeds (fig. 9). 

 14.15: A third buffeo seen. A large animal. 



14.25: A fourth buffeo sighted near the reeds at the river bank. It too is 

 taking a sand bath. Speed of motor boat 3-4 knots. 



14.30: One large animal shot with the rifle. Stunned for a moment, unco- 

 ordinated. Dived and reappeared 100 meters from the boat down river. Spouted 

 once and dived again. Surfaced several times. The bleeding wound is very obvious 

 10 cms below the dorsal fin. 



15.00: Wounded animal is accompanied by a second buffeo. Periods spent 

 under water between surfacings increasingly longer. 



15.30: Lost sight of the wounded animal. Three more buffeos sighted. 



16.00: Another buffeo sighted. Wounded animal nowhere in sight. 



17.45: Heavy rain. Return. 



The same areas were visited in the following days and the protocol is more or 

 less the same so that I have found it unnecessary to publish the complète dairy. 



• BODY MEASUREMENTS 



Four Inias were captured for anatomical and haematological investigation. 

 The measurements of the bodies of thèse four animais can be seen in Table I. 



Food 



The contents of the stomachs of four animais were collected. Animal No. 417 

 had a few crabs in its stomach (fig. 3) and numerous nematods which have not yet 

 been identified. This animal had a deformed beak ; the upper jaw was approximately 

 6 cms shorter than the lower jaw. The bones were completely healed. The animal 

 did not seem to have any trouble feeding because its weight was normal. The 

 stomachs of No. 420 and No. 418 were completely empty. They probably vomited 

 the contents when they were shot. Animal No. 419 had about 4 lbs. of half digested 

 fish in its stomach. The most complète spécimens can be seen in fig. 30. Crabs 

 pincers were found among the remains of the fish, probably the same species as 



