CiiAP. VII. VILLA NOVA. 283 



death to some member of the household. Others say 

 that its whming cry is intended to attract other defence- 

 less birds within its reach. The little courageous fly- 

 catcher Bem-ti-vi (Saurophagus sulphuratus) assembles 

 in companies of four or five, and attacks it boldly, driv- 

 ing it from the perch where it would otherwise sit for 

 hours. I shot three hawks of as many different species ; 

 and these, with a Magoary stork, two beautiful gilded- 

 green jacamars (Galbulachalcocephala), and half-a-dozen 

 leaves of the water-lily made a heavy load, with which 

 we trudged off back to the canoe. 



A few years after this visit, namely, in 1854-5, I 

 passed eight months at Villa Nova. The district of 

 which it is the chief town is very extensive, for it has 

 about forty miles of linear extent along the banks of the 

 river ; but the whole does not contain more than 4000 

 inhabitants. More than half of these are pure-blood 

 Indians, who live in a semi-civilized condition on the 

 banks of the numerous channels and lakes. The trade 

 of the place is chiefly in India-rubber, balsam of Copaiba 

 (which are collected on the banks of the Madeira and 

 the numerous rivers that enter the Canoma channel), 

 and salt fish, prepared in the dry season, nearer home. 

 These articles are sent to Para in exchange for Euro- 

 pean goods. The few Indian and half-breed families 

 who reside in the town, are many shades inferior in 

 personal qualities and social condition to those I lived 

 amongst near Para and Cameta. They live in wretched 

 dilapidated mud-hovels ; the women cultivate small 

 patches of mandioca ; the men spend most of their time 



