variety of lizards,--the
most noted of which is the iguana, which frequently attains a length of
four feet;--and its flesh is here, as in other parts of the continent,
esteemed. There are many varieties of serpents, some of which are
harmless. Of the venomous species, there are the golden snake, the
whip-snake, and the tamagas--the bite of which is considered deadly. So
is also that of the corral. It is of the most brilliant colour, covered
with alternate rings of green, black, and red. To this last may be
added the rattlesnake and the ordinary black snake. Most of these
snakes are found in the lower region near the sea-coast.

In all the rivers and lakes, tortoises and turtles of several kinds are
abundant. The land turtle reaches a foot in length. Its shell is of a
dark colour. It is eaten, but is not esteemed of so good a quality as
the sea turtle. The coasts are frequented by various species of sea
turtle, known as the green, the hawks-bill--which affords the best
tortoise-shell to commerce--and the trunk-turtle, which is larger than
either of its two relatives. From its flesh is extracted a kind of oil,
which is of considerable value.

The hawks-bill turtle, which gains that name from its narrow, sharp, and
curved beak, like that of a hawk, is also called the imbricated turtle,
because its scales overlap each other at their extremities, as tiles are
placed on the roofs of houses.

The green or edible turtle is of great size, weighing often six hundred
pounds, and being upwards of five feet in length. It gains its name
from its rich fat, which is of a green colour; and its flesh is
considered very much superior to that of all its relatives.

The variety and kinds of Crustacea are almost numberless, from the
largest lobster to the smallest crab. Two species--the mangrove crab,
and the white and black land crab--are found near the mouths of the
rivers and in all the lagoons; while the curious soldier crabs, which
seem as much at home in one element as in the other, inhabit in vast
numbers the trees which lie rotting half submerged in the water. At
certain times they may be found making their way into the interior, to
return afterwards to the ocean.

The neighbourhood of the ocean, and the rivers and lakes of the
interior, swarm with an endless variety of fish; while the huge manatee,
or sea-cow, is found in most of the rivers.

THE MAHOGANY-TREE.

The most valuable production of the forests of th