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 JVIoreno 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 navi- 
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 that a 
good idea of the physical features may be derived. When the dis- 
tribution of the plants is discussed the picture of the district Avill be 
more complete. Then one may see along the shore at intervals the 
mangrove-berdered lagoons, then stretching inland the sandy plain 
dotted with the cactus and low shrubs exposed to the burning sun; 
the broAvn hills with small dead bushes, the valleys with the waving 
coconut palms and higher up the green-clad mountain side with 
the top reaching into the clouds. 
The land intervening between the two ends is for the most part a 
large mangrove swamp, open to the sea on the north side and a short 
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 than 
the eastern. The conditions recorded here are taken from the meager 
encyclopedic references and from the observations which I made from 
the distant San Juan ^lountain and on the Coche-Punta Piedras 
voyage and on board the steamship from Porlamar to La Guaira and 
also from reports of the natives. 
