HINTERLAND NOTES 467 



extent of country upon the ground. The red howler affords 

 the listener daily and nightly entertainments, in these forests. 

 To describe the noises made is impossible. The cadence from 

 fortissimo to mezzo-forte is not unpleasing. One would miss 

 these howlers, in the wilds. Mycetes seniculus conveys no 

 picture of the howler. The Sakiwinkie, with its olive and 

 yellowish tints about the head, makes a pretty pet. And the 

 black and fluffy marmosette is also in demand. I have seen 

 both of these monkeys leaping and scrambling amongst the 

 trees, at Uruata, or swarming up the trunks. As the Indi- 

 ans eat seven species of monkey, it is clear that I have not 

 seen all there are to be seen. 



The maipuri or tapir is a splendid diver. It travels long- 

 distances by water. I have seen it swimming the Essequibo, 

 where its width is a full mile. Two boats gave chase. 

 Wounded with an arrow, the maipuri dived and remained 

 under water for nearly five minutes. For three-quarters of 

 an hour it kept the boats moving about and doubling, as it 

 would sink in one place and re-appear forty or fifty yards 

 away. I have met with it upon several occasions in the Rapo- 

 nunni. Its feet are worth notice. 



Below Anai, I shot a water-horse. It sank and was 

 carried below the branches of a fallen tree, and was lost to us. 



The water-dog, or otter, has learnt to fish where shal- 

 lows meet the deeps. These animals may be seen treading 

 water, to raise their heads and yap at an approaching boat, 

 taking care to keep at a respectable distance. Should one 

 hear an uproar of conflicting cries — turara, turara, turara, 

 turara — there is no need for alarm, though, through the for- 

 est the noise is, at first, startling. A family of otters is 

 expressing its delight over some fine fish which has been 

 brought to bank by father or mother otter. The larger spe- 

 cies of otter, the Indians call turara {Pteronura sandbachi) ; 

 the smaller one they call, saro {Lutra hrasiliensis) . Both 

 may be found in the Rapo-nunni. 



