"fruit is undoubtedly the chief food of the toucans, and it is in reference to their mode of obtaining it that the use of their uncouth bills is to be sought. Flowers and fruits on the crowns of the large trees of South American forests grow principally towards the end of slender twigs, which will not bear any considerable weight;" the length of the toucan's beak therefore enables it to "reach and devour immense quantities of fruit while seated, and thus its heavy body and gluttonous appetite form no obstacles to the prosperity of the species. It is worthy of note that the young of the toucan has a very much smaller beak than the full-grown bird."

Toucans can be easily tamed, and make interesting pets.

Various remarks on birds will be found scattered throughout my journal, but I will conclude this article by four short notes from my diary.

October 26, 1883.-Found a nest with two eggs of the ticotico in short grass on a hillside. The eggs were in an advanced condition, the bird being fully formed within.

I came across many birds' nests with eggs till December.

December 3.-Found a remarkable nest among reeds in a swamp; the nest was shaped like a large globular teapot, and was beautifully thatched with twigs. The entrance was through the neck—or spout, to continue the simile. By peeping down this opening, I saw a softly lined bed, whereon were five whitish eggs. The bird was on a neighbouring reed jealously watching my proceedings; it was small, of a light reddish brown, with white throat and chest, and a longish black beak.

December 4.-I saw quite an aviary on one small dead leafless tree, near a swamp-eight canaries, three orioles (Cassicus persicus), two scissor-tails (Milvulus tyrannus), one John Clay (Furnarius rufus), one brown and yellow woodpecker (Celeus flavescens), and two small black birds with white breasts.

December 31.-At 6.15 a.m., saw a lovely small humming-bird, about an inch and a half long, feeding at the purple flowers of a species of lavender; his colour was brown, with a brilliant white band of feathers on his breast.

REPTILIA.

This class of vertebrates is divided into nine orders, of which four are represented by living forms and the others are extinct. The four existing orders are crocodiles, lizards, snakes, and tortoises.

LIZARDS (Lacertilia).

These are everywhere abundant. I have fed off some, and have a few preserved in spirits, but none of sufficient interest to record.

SNAKES (Ophidia).

On July 7, 1883, I found at the hotel at Paraopéba Station a book on medicine,* which appears to be a valuable work. From it I extracted a few notes on carrapatos, and, finding a list of the snakes of Brazil, I ascertained from the landlord the names of those which occur in that district. As far as I could find out from the local names they are as follows: Cobra cascavel (a rattlesnake), boiquira, or boicininga; the latter an Indian name—as usual, highly scientific-boi, or boya = a serpent, cining = a bell; it is the Crotalus horridus, Darwin. Giboia, boa constrictor, plentiful in the forests near Pitanguy. Surucucú, Lachesis rhombeata. Surucucu bico de jacca, Lachesis muta. Jararáca, Cophias jararaca. Cobra coral, Elaps maregravii.

I have elsewhere referred to the cobra coral, and a snake called jararacussú, which I occasionally found, as also the jararáca, but was fortunate enough to avoid the rattlesnake, although some of our staff came across it. On the 20th of December, 1883, I saw a long very thin snake; its colour was greenish blue on the upper side, with a bright yellow under side. The snake had just seized a large frog, and I wondered how he would dispose of him. I was attracted by hearing the frog's terrified croak, and, dismounting from my horse, drew near to watch the proceedings. The snake fixed his cold glassy eye on me, as I approached within a

*

"Diccionario de medicina popular." Pedro Luiz Napoleão Chernoviz. Paris, 1878.

yard of him, but continued swallowing the frog, swelling out marvellously as it gradually was disappearing. As the last foot of the frog entered the snake's mouth, I gave him a blow on the head, when immediately the frog was disgorged, every bone in his body broken, covered with slime, but still breathing and moving. After killing the snake, I was also compelled to despatch the frog.

I regret much not having preserved any snakes, but the instinct of self-preservation was, perhaps unfortunately, always uppermost ; therefore, the reptiles were so disfigured and bruised they were of no use as specimens.

M. Liais says of the cascavel that it does not inhabit the forests on the coasts, but especially the region of high campos, as the plateau of Barbacena. "Happily, this serpent of so active a poison is very lazy, and does not attack. It only bites when touched or trodden on. My learned friend, the Visconde de Prados, had the opportunity, near Barbacena, of observing several cases of bites by this snake, and furnished me with most interesting information as to its poison. Death follows on the bite almost instantaneously, preceded by blindness. The evil is generally incurable, especially when the bite reaches parts much interlaced by veins. Sometimes, however, the Crotalus has but little poison, no doubt because it has recently bitten another animal, and in that case, which is rare, a cure may be effected. The effect of the poison is to dissolve the blood globules and, by increasing its fluidity, to produce hæmorrhage." M. Liais mentions another snake of the same genus, Crotalus urutú.

I heard occasionally of persons who were bitten, but was only told of two cures. The first, and more general because easily attainable, making the patient drunk; the other, injection of permanganate of potassium. I always carried in my pocket a small case containing a bottle of this liquid, and a syringe, etc., for injection hypodermically; but am most thankful to say I never had occasion to use it. I was once informed that a man was bitten who wished for the injection; the village apothecary had the necessaries, but, never having tried the operation, refused to perform, and a messenger was sent to me on the matter. I was unable to go, but showed the man my apparatus and explained "Climats, Faune," etc., p. 305.

its use, urging him to operate without delay. I shifted camp the next day, and heard no more.

Teetotalers will be shocked by the "drunken process;" but Captain Burton says, "This is the secret of the cure; the action of the heart is restored, the venom is expelled, and the brain returns to its normal functions."

M. Liais cites the case of other snakes whose bite coagulates the blood. Such is the sorocotinga (Trigonocephalus brasiliensis), allied to the Trigonocephalus rhumbeatus (Lachesis rhumbeata, Lacépède). He states that this is the only Brazilian snake which attacks man.

In the case of the jararacussú (Trigonocephalus atrox), the bite often produces gangrene.

M. Liais states that the other venomous snakes of Brazil belong to smaller sized genera than the preceding, mostly less formidable than the Crotalus and Trigonocephalus, and that ammonia counteracts the effects of the bites of many of them.

TORTOISES (Chelonia).

On December 24, 1883, a wonderful beast was described to me, and his portrait, a veritable marvel of antediluvian chelonians, was drawn. I was told that the animal abounded in the marshes, and that its bite was more deadly than that of a snake-no recovery possible. One of these awe-inspiring creatures was brought to me next day, a poor little harmless tortoise some six inches across the body, with a remarkably long neck, which it tucked sideways under its shell when looked at or touched. The natives were much frightened at my handling it.

HORNED TOAD (Amphibia).

The only species of amphibia of which I preserved a specimen is the handsome and brightly coloured yellow and brown horned toad, Ceratophrys granosa-a remarkable instance of protective colouring, as it is impossible to distinguish it a foot or two off, without touching it, when resting on the fallen dead leaves of the forest.

SHELLS (Mollusca).

List of shells collected in a short ramble by the Bay of Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro.

I am indebted to the kindness of J. Cosmo Melvill, Esq. F.L.S., for naming the specimens.

The classification is from Paetel's "Conchylien Sammlung," 1883; from H. and A. Adam's "Manual of Mollusca," 1858; and from G. P. Woodward's "Manual of the Mollusca,” 1880.

This shell is very common everywhere in Minas Geraes, but I never found it with the mollusc inside. Mr. H. W. Bates says that "the land molluscs are the only animals which æstivate; they *Much worn.