OF THE AMAZON. 95 



had a number of parrots whose objections to any 

 restraint upon their liberty caused me much trouble. 

 Their first cage was of wicker, and in a couple of hours 

 they had all set themselves at liberty. Then tough 

 green wood was tried, but the same time only was 

 required to gnaw that through. Thick bars of deal 

 were bitten through in a single night, so I then tried 

 the hard wood of the Pashiuba. This checked them for 

 a short time, but in less than a week by continual 

 gnawing they had chipped these away and again 

 escaped. I now began to despair ; no iron for bars 

 was to be procured and my resources were exhausted, 

 when one of my Indians recommended me to try Pu- 

 piinha, assuring me that if their beaks were of iron they 

 could not bite that. A tree was accordingly cut down 

 and bars made from it, and I had the satisfaction of 

 seeing that their most persevering efforts now made 

 little impression. 



The very sharp needle-like spines of this tree are 

 used by some tribes to puncture the skin, in order to 

 produce the tattooed marks with which they decorate 

 various parts of their bodies. Soot produced from 

 burning pitch rubbed into the wounds is said to make 

 the indelible bluish stain which these markings present. 



This palm appears to be indigenous to the countries 

 near the Andes. On the Amazon and Rio Negro it is 

 never found wild. It is mentioned by Humboldt as 

 having a smooth polished stem, which is a mistake. 



Very fine specimens of this tree are growing in the 

 great Palm House at Kew. 



Plate III. fig. 4. represents a fruit of the natural size. 



