Kaimans' I) iget to a FiniseC. 
25 
but so full of bones that a hungry stomach would rather try sometliing 
else. Its food consists of small fish which it swallows whole. Like the 
Pirai it often in its greed cuts tlirough the fishing-line with its sharp 
bite. The teeth mentioned give the fish a curious appearance Avhereiu 
accordiiig to my experience it is only surpassed by the armour-plated 
11 jjpostuinus* whieh Avas also represented here by several 
species.. As they remained for tlu' most part at a eonstaiii depth 
in the crevices between tlie rocky boulders the Indians dived in to pull 
them out of their lurking spots wliere, as their captors maintained, they 
can be heard making a peculiar noise. The Sudis gigas also put in an 
appearance again in the deeper places. 
02. Where the savannah reached right onto the bank, this gener- 
iüly fell away in 15 to 20 ft. high abrupt walls. Among the CurateUa 
I also noticed here and there the Boicdichia major Mart. Avhich though 
lowly was overstrewn with blue Idossoms, several Malpighiac as well as 
cevt'din LegiDiiinosae, particularly Clitoria Linn. (Vcxillaria Hoffmsg. ) 
that at least lent to these sterile flats a somewhat more lively appeai'am e 
than that offered by the savannahs of the Mahu and Pii-ara. At all 
events, what with the grass having been burnt and already replaced by 
young growth, this green carpet helped in large measure to reconcile me 
once more to the monotonous flats. 
6.'>. We had likewise noticed that besides the ordinary Kaiman, the 
Takutu also harbours a smaller species {Clia uipsa rallifrons Natt, t 
called Kaikutsclii by the Indians, the flesh of which, next that of the 
Iguana, is considered to be a very great delicacy. Late in the afternoon 
we were yet to witness a highly interesting fight. On the farther side 
of the first rubble^bank mentioned above, the river lay before us in a 
deep and smooth stretch through which the corials were again able, after 
a long interval, to make theii* way without hindrance.- Seeing an un- 
usual movement in the water straight ahead, and but a short distanc'^ 
away, we made our Indians pull quicker so as to get close to the spot 
as fast as they could. A huge Kaiman had just seized a Kaikulschi at 
its middle so that head and tail projected on either side of its awful 
jaws. The fight Avas furious and extremely interesting but all efforts 
of the weaker creature remained fruitless against the mettle and greed 
of tlie stronger. Both now disappeared and only the ripples of the other- 
wise calm and peaceful surface indicated that a struggle for life and 
death was taking place below: after some minutes they emerged, and 
whipping the water with their tails splashed it away in all directions: 
the result however was soon no longer doubtful: the ])owers and efforts 
of tlie Kaikutschi ceased: we paddled closer: on the Kaiman noticing us 
he dived under, but as he could not swallow his i)rey in the water he 
bobbed up some distance away and swam to a small sandljank Avhere he 
immediately commenced his meal. 
64.. Just as the less obstructed water-way cousiderably lightened 
our day's labours, so on the 14th a cloudy sky and a cooling wind from 
The imi'ii of tlie Macusis. (Ed.) 
