Note 75 — Chapter VII · LIFE IN TEFFÉ.

As from the beginning our arrangements were made to stay at least a month in Teffé, it became possible to lay out our work in a more systematic form than during our rambling travels. It was here that I secured the largest number of fish skeletons and had several of the larger animals of the country prepared for the Museum; such as Manatees, Porpoises, Pirarucus, Sorubims, and the like. I also undertook here, for the first time, a regular search for the young of all the species of fishes that could be obtained. Here again my neighbors, and indeed all the inhabitants of the place, vied with one another in their efforts to procure specimens for me. Senhor Joaō da Cunha and Dr. Romualdo made frequent fishing excursions for my benefit; and when I could not accompany them, a boatful of fish was nevertheless moored to the shore, in the evening, from which I could select whatever was useful or interesting. The grocer of the place, Mr. Pedro Mendez, who employed a skilful fisherman daily to supply his large family, gave directions that all the fishes caught should be brought in, and before the kitchen received its provisions, I had my choice of everything. This was a great favor, especially since the Indian fisherman, José, whom I had engaged in Manaos to accompany me through the rest of my journey, was now at Tabatinga, assisting Mr. Bourget, who had been left there when I returned to Teffé. An old Passé Indian, who was as familiar with the fishes of the waters as with the animals of the forest, and whom Major Coutinho had befriended for many years, rendered also great service in hunting particular kinds of fishes and reptiles, the haunts of which he alone seemed to know. The schoolmaster and his boys, in short, everybody who knew how to catch fish or fowl, was out at work, and, with the assistance of my young friends Dexter, Hunnewell, and Thayer, and the co-operation of Major Coutinho and Mr. Burkhardt, our daily progress was unmistakable. They generally took care of the collections of land animals, while I reserved the fishes to myself, and Major Coutinho was busy with geological and meteorological observations. Even the servants helped in cleaning the skeletons. I made here a very extensive collection of fish brains, embracing most genera found in this locality, but it was unfortunately lost on arriving at Manaos. Aware of the difficulty of transporting preparations so delicate, I kept them always by my side, simply packed in an open barrel, in the hope of bringing them safely home, and also that I might, without difficulty, add to the number. In an unguarded moment, however, while landing, one of our attendants capsized the whole into the Rio Negro. It is the only part of my collections which was completely lost.

After setting my whole party well under way in Teffé, I made the very instructive excursion with Major Estolano, of which an account is given in the text, to the Lago do Boto, a small sheet of water, by the side of his sitio on the banks of the main course of the Amazons, where I had a fair opportunity of ascertaining how widely different the fishes may be that inhabit adjoining faunæ in the same hydrographic basin. To this day I have not yet recovered from my surprise at finding that shores which, from a geographic point of view, must be considered simply as opposite banks of the same stream, were, nevertheless, the abode of an essentially different ichthyological population. Among the most curious fishes obtained here, I would mention a new genus, allied to Phractocephalus, of which I know only a single very large species, remarkable for its uniform canary-yellow color. Doras, Acestra, Pterygoplichthys, &c., were particularly common. Small as this lake is, the largest animals known in the whole basin are found in it: such as Manatees Botos,—the Porpoise of the Amazons, which has given its name to the lake, Alligators, Pirarucus,—the Sudis gigas of systematic writers; Sorubims, the large flat-headed Hornpouts; Pacamums, the large, yellow Siluroid above alluded to, &c., &c.—L. A.