EXPLANATORY INDEX. 461 



of its flesh, would make it a welcome addition to our 

 poultry. 



Within the tropics, however, it is a very common inhabitant 

 of the poultry yard, where its only drawback is, that it 

 assumes authority over the turkeys and guinea fowls, and 

 pecks them to death if they do not obey. In many parts of 



Guiana there is a belief that if a dog licks up the blood of a 

 wounded Powise, or mumbles its bleeding feathers as dogs 

 love to do, it will go mad. 



PURPLE-HEART (Copaifera publiflora). This most useful 

 tree derives its name from the purple colour of its wood, 

 which is very hard, close grained, durable, and tough. 



It is, however, chiefly valued for its bark, which is used in 

 making canoes. Mr. C. B. Brown gives the following account 

 of the manufacture : 



" The bark canoes used by Indians are called ' Woodskins ' 

 by the Creoles, and are made of one piece of bark, stripped 

 from a tree called the Purple-heart (Copaifera publiftora). 



