The Paddler Frog, 
3G1 
burfjkiana Klotzsch, and G. gnianensis Klotzscli : the foliage of the 
tpretty trees was regularly buried under the ^mass of fragrant white 
blossoms. 
878. The banks of the stream, as it rolled along on its steady 
sinuous course, soon reached a height of i^O IVct. but on aecoiuU of being 
washed away underneath were in many places collapsed, and their 
vegetation slung into the river, a catastrophe that in isolated spots 
threatened to take place any instant. \'\'itli the banks at this height, 
large masses of sandstone shewed up in the river-bed which the water 
had honeycouibed like a. sponge. 
871). it was now: the 15th October, the 11th day aiuce leaving 
Kuamuta, tliat we liad neither met a single huiman habitation, nor 
seen a liuman being. ()nr provisions were consumed, and yet I wanted 
to honour my King's birthday, which I had celebrated the year before in 
Torong-Yauwise amongst such a numerous assemblage of Indians, when 
I had been still able to toast Iiis Majesty's liealth in wine from the 
fatherland. To-day I could only drink it in the pure water of the 
Barama. Late in the evening however we came across three woodskins 
with Akawais who were taking a trip to the Waini, and from whom, for 
the sake ol' somewhat celeljrating the occasion T liartered two land- 
turtle which would be cooked when we cauiped. These people told us 
that it would be four days before we should reach a settlement. 
880. We spent the uight in one of the travellers' shelters (Reise- 
hiiltoi). I had tied my iwo lainc mouk<'ys onto the roof, and was just 
sitting inside busily putting away the plants collected during: the 
course of the day when they raised 'fpiite a ]nteous scream outside. T 
recognised the cause of the trouble as soon as T got out. One of those 
frightful labaria snakes (Trif/ovnrf'phdhif; atrofn) had just crept out op 
the palm-thatch and was staring steadfastly at the terrified creatures 
that perfectly well knew and felt the danger threatening them. Even 
when T held the dead snake up lo them, the poor brutes still shewed 
extreme fear. 
881. Both in the early evening and throughout the night we frequently 
heard on the Barama the equally \ory strange croak of another tree-fi'og 
(JTi/Ja pnlmald Daud.) which, on this very account, is called ^'Paddler" 
by the Tolonists, coloured people, and Indians. The note which it 
utters in short regularly measured intervals is so like the noise resulting 
from the stroke of a paddle that we were often enough deceived. Boat- 
hands, after every stroke of the paddle, strike the edge of the corial with 
its handle, whereby a peculiar hollow sound is produced, and supposing 
the corial, contain fi to 8 or 10 of a crew, one nevertheless always only 
hears one rhythmical blow in which, however, the knocks of all the 
paddles are distinct though succeeding each other with lightning speed. 
It is by this noise that the a[»i>roach of a boat, while yet a considerable 
distance away, can be recognised, especially at night. The favourite 
haunt of this frog is the bush hanging ininiediaiel y oyei- tlu' water into 
which it jumps if pursued but which it leaves immediately after, to 
glimb again up onto tlie bank or onto the twigs that dip the surface. 
