Unrivalled in his display of every lovely colour of the rainbow, and
unmatched in the effects of his deadly poison, the counacouchi glides
undaunted on, sole monarch of these forests; he is commonly known by the
name of the bush-master. Both man and beast fly before him, and allow him
to pursue an undisputed path. He sometimes grows to the length of fourteen
feet.

A few small caymen, from two to twelve feet long, may be observed now and
then in passing up and down the river; they just keep their heads above the
water, and a stranger would not know them from a rotten stump.

Lizards of the finest green, brown and copper colour, from two inches to
two feet and a half long, are ever and anon rustling among the fallen
leaves and crossing the path before you, whilst the chameleon is busily
employed in chasing insects round the trunks of the neighbouring trees.

The fish are of many different sorts and well-tasted, but not, generally
speaking, very plentiful. It is probable that their numbers are
considerably thinned by the otters, which are much larger than those of
Europe. In going through the overflowed savannas, which have all a
communication with the river, you may often see a dozen or two of them
sporting amongst the sedges before you.

This warm and humid climate seems particularly adapted to the producing of
insects; it gives birth to myriads, beautiful past description in their
variety of tints, astonishing in their form and size, and many of them
noxious in their qualities.

He whose eye can distinguish the various beauties of uncultivated nature,
and whose ear is not shut to the wild sounds in the woods, will be