'J'he Kaiman's Nest. 
the element of which, iti is the most dangerous denizen. The scales of 
the baby kaiman were quite soft and pliable: although it could only 
have been hatched a few days before it nevertheless had a strong musky 
smell. Not far from the spot we discovered a broad track leading to 
the former nest of the eggs, which was about 30 feet distant from the 
bank. This consisted of an excavation of the soil lined with bush, 
leaves, and grass : judging from the empty shells it must have contained 
from 30 to 40 eggs, laid in layers one above the other. Each layier is separ- 
ated 'from the next by leaves and mud : a similar covering of mud 
seemed to have overlain the topmost. Kaimans hatch at the same 
time of year as turtles, so that they can crawl out before the com- 
mencement of the rainy season and not get destroyed by the rising 
waters. On their journey to the water they are not only waylaid by the 
larger birds of prey and the jabirus, l)ut also l)y the male kaimans Avho 
seem to be especially fond of devouring the brood. Were it not for the 
largest part of the young being thus destroyed,, they would ibe increasing 
at a fearful rate. The females are said never to hwvy their eggs in 
the sandbanks. 
660. Next morning several Indians accompanied me with gun and 
bullet back to the scene of the previous day's adventure. The mother, 
with her young, had disappeared. In spite of the numerous snouts that 
I'ose out of the water, and many attempts with lai'ge fish-hooks, we did 
not succeed in getting possession of a single specimen. On our return 
to camp, the Macusi Naripo (Kaiman-killer) who lived at the Inlet, 
asked me to, leave thCigun with him, because he would surely shoot an 
animal during the course of the day. Towards evening he came and told 
us that he had kept his word. The creature still lay in the water tied 
to a tree by a long vine-rope with which we dragged it on land. Its 
entire length amounted to 14 ft. 3 in., the head was 18 in. long and its 
girth around the eyes 20 inches, the circumference of the body on the 
other hand being 14 ft. 5 in. | Tt might very Iwell have received the largie 
wound in the tail, which was already cicatrised, in the course of the 
furious onslaughts made by the males on one another, during the pairing 
season, 'Copulation takes place either on land or in Hat spots on" the 
banks. Of the 18 teeth, six were missing, while one of the forefeet was 
quite mangled up. From what the Indians told us, these mutilat'on's 
were due to the voracious pirai, which "vvould seeni to Be the only 
animals to trouble the full-grown! kaiman". iWitK his son Danappe, 
Naripo had only killed the monster with the seventh l)all which' had 
passed through the eye into the brain and smashed the skull. 'Ktl ut v' 
powering smell of musk emanated from the carcass, particularly from 
the region of the genitalia. The dried penis is used by the Brazilians as 
a sure and common remedy for fever, for which purpose they pulverise 
it on th&, grater-like tongue of the Sudis (ßgas, and take with water. 
The kaimans which we met on the upper Essequibo, as in general on the 
savannah streams, differ a good deal from those on the coast not only 
as regards size, but also as regards appearance. The colonists and 
coloured folk call the latter alligators, Champsa scZerops, Natt: they 
seldom reach a. length of 6 or 7 feet, and have la more greenish colour. 
