METHODS OF FISHING 31 
with him I canvassed the tiendas of Huancayo, and his magic formula with my 
form of palmistry elicited a fair supply of the root for my journey. 
Meanwhile Prof. Eigenmann, on his return home, had communicated to Dr. 
N. E. MeIndoo, U. 8. Bureau of Entomology, the story of cubé, which, of course 
would interest that bureau for its known insecticidal properties. We were re- 
quested to obtain a supply for analysis and testing. This also through Mr. Dennis 
I was able to do. The result of their analysis has had far-reaching consequences. 
The root proved to be so rich in rotenone that it was recommended as a substitute 
for Derris, and has been developed in recent years on a large commercial scale. 
Our interest in the root was of course its effectiveness as an agent for fish- 
collecting. The supply which we obtained in the high Andes, far from its point of 
origin, was always well-dried, the roots gnarled, shrunken, yellowish in color. Later 
in the interior the roots which I obtained fresh, still in the sap, well rounded out, 
smooth, resembled the others much as new potatoes resemble last year’s crop 
toward the end of winter. Many persons, seeing we had a supply, volunteered 
information about it. There was a general opinion that the old dry roots are the 
more potent. I am inclined to agree, but for the reason that the water-extraction 
of the powdery alkaloid is easier and more complete than from the juicy, fresh root. 
The manner of using the roots consists, first of thoroughly crushing them, 
either in the open, or in a bag, improvised in our case from our supply of cheese- 
cloth; then of further crushing and kneading the bag with its contents under the 
water to be poisoned, washing out the alkaloid in a milky stream. (See Frontis- 
piece.) Afterward the thoroughly macerated residue may be broadcast into the 
water. 
During the preparation, either between rocks, or by use of a cudgel (beetle, 
in the words of Marcoy) on a stump, a fine, yellow dust of the dried sap is liberated. 
The operator must work with much care, for the powder gets into the air and ma- 
terially impedes respiration. In high elevations with reduced oxygen this proved 
to be serious indeed. We had a very fair demonstration upon ourselves of the 
effect which the extract has upon the fish, causing it to struggle to the surface where 
it may gasp for air. If the dosage is high enough it results in death to fishes, and 
the more active they are the more susceptible. If speedily washed downstream, 
the fishes have opportunity to recover. 
Domville-Fife’s allusion (page 210), ‘‘pounding a certain root and placing the 
flour so made in a bag, suspended by a cord in the river’? may refer to cubé. The 
method is similar, but the amount needed to poison a river would be very great. 
Of course the word “‘rio”’ often applies to very small streams, since there seems to 
be no well-used equivalent of the word ‘creek’. Orton’s (page 169) description of 
the process makes certain that he had the same plant in mind. 
Paez says barbasco is a vine, and that either vine or root is crushed with a mal- 
let. Hesays that when fishes are to be poisoned with cuna, they are first baited with 
maize-meal mush, then the poison administered in a mixture with the mush, paste- 
like. Thus it would appear to be a stomach poison, while cwbé has its effect through 
the gills. 
Herndon (pages 161 and 193) and Marcoy (II, 179) describe regular and peri- 
