the use of ayahuasca is commonly restricted to the sha- 
man and has not extended itself to the whole population. 
The Mirana (Miranya) Indians, now much reduced in 
numbers but once widely feared for their war-like char- 
acteristics, are usually classified linguistically as Wito- 
toan. According to information which I have received 
from travellers and others who know the Miranias, I be- 
lieve that there may be very good reason for suspecting 
that they are not Witotoan and that they may perhaps 
constitute even a distinct family. They now dwell near 
La Pedrera on the Caqueté River and along the lower 
reaches of the Kawinari River, a southern tributary of 
the Caqueta. There are also groups of Mirafias in adja- 
cent Brazil. 
Because of long proximity, the Mirafas are culturally, 
in many respects, similar to the Witotos and Boras. 
They use coca in large quantities in daily life and are 
said to employ tobacco in the form of snuff and ambil. 
There seems to be no report that they take caapi. 
Tukano: linguistic family 7V'wkano, according to 
Rivet (38), Castellvi (5), Mason (24a) and others. Cf. the 
classification of Koch-Griinberg (21). 
Tukano represents one of the most important linguis- 
tic families of South America. The sundry Tukanoan 
tribes dwell for the most part in the Comisaria del Vaupés 
and in adjacent Brazil. The more important tribes in the 
Colombian Vaupés are the Gwananos, Piratapuyos, Tai- 
wanos, Makunas, Barasanas and Djis. The Kubeos are 
usually classified as Tukanoan, but there may be reason 
for questioning their belonging to this linguistic family. 
They represent the culture of the tropical forest, are 
agriculturists, fishers, river-travellers, use the hammock 
and know the art of ceramics. Socially, they are fratri- 
cidally organized (14a). 
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