San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-10-20
IN THE swAMps OF oRlNoco.
wild Beasts Roam at WIN and the vege-
tation IL Extremely Rank,


wild Beasts Roam at WIN and the yege-
tation L. Extremely Rank,
The term "ferocious" will perhaps |
characterize the faunal life more fully |
than any other single word can do. No
where else have 1 ever seen the animal |
life so fully provided for offense and de-
tense as here. This statement applies
to every class of the animal kingdom,
but with special force to its smaller
members. The tigers and tiger cats,
notwithstanding that they were fire.
quent visitors to the camp, entering the
tent, and even during the last few
nights of my stay the house itself, will
endeayor to escape from man on most
occasions, but the fleas, jiggers, golofas,
goropatas and mosquitoes know neither
fear nor rest in the region where we
spent most of our time.
Reference has already been made to
the abundance of serpents as seen when
they are disturbed by the inundation of
their meadows. The forests are equally
full of them. Wewould encounter them
in the pathway; they climbed upon the
trees and bushes, especially those over
hanging the water; they were constant
visitors to the camp, entering the tent
or house, and they even lived in num-
bers in the palm leaf thatch. Nine coral
snakes were removed in replacing the
roof of the house next adjoining ours.
An erroneous idea exists as to the
harmlessness of the alligator, and it is
strange that this should have been
largely promoted by writer's on natural
history. Not only are these creatures
large and numerous about the delta,
but they are very ferocious, and, es-
pecially during the Matching season,
they are not slow in attacking man.
| Even the smaller members of the lizard
family are in same cases reported VEN
omous and certainly do not lack the dis
position to attack human beings, as we
ascertained by personal observation.
No one is, of course, surprised to find fe-
rocity among the reptiles, but it does
appear strange to see the birds armed
with sharp and powerful spikes upon
the wings and even with horns upon
the head. Although the latter may not
be used for offense, the former certainly
are, and constitute very formidable
weapons. Birds of prey are exceedingly
numerous in this region and have good
reason for being we'll armed, for the
objects of their attention are in many,
if not in most, cases fitted for making
a desperate resistance.
Although these visible evidences OF
warfare are so conspicuous about the
lower Orinoco, it is beyond the reach
of our ordinary observation, within the
various waters Of this strange region
that the most desperate conflicts are
waged. Surely nothing can exceed in
interest the combination of provisions
for rapid and changing movement and
of offensive and defensive armament
possessed by the animals of the streams
and pools. The marriott, the principal
food fish there found, has pair of tusks
like those of the wild boar, some two
inches in length, sharp and powerful
and these are supplemented by set Of
powerful molars for heavy grinding
The Scissors fish" has cutting under
edge to its pectoral fin, which closes
down by a succession of notches, eacf
holding the cutter at the point reached
by each successive muscular contrac
ton. The waters swarm with electric
cells, though these are not nearly sc
dangerous as are generally believed
The caribfsh, or piranhau, with inter
locking triangular teeth, massive head
and jaws, and ferocity which for vigol
and persistence is equaled only by thai
of the bulldog in most of the pools, ant
renders death practically certain TO any
one obliged to make his way by swim
ming for any considerable distance in q
pool where they abound.-Journal O.
Pharmacy.