494 TROPICAL WILD LIFE IN BRITISH GUIANA 



The game beasts represented in our collections are mon- 

 keys, tapir, water-haas, labba, accouri, adouri, peccary (2 

 species) , deer and armadillo; the fox and kibihee have beenas, 

 but these may be intended to repel. Reptiles and turtles and 

 their eggs, snakes and alligators; birds, powis, maam and 

 macaws. There must be many other birds with special been- 

 as, even if we admit that a general charm covers beasts, birds 

 and fishes. Our beenas for fishes include ten species ; prob- 

 ably there are many more. We may safely presume that we 

 do not know a quarter of them; yet I have thought it well 

 to make a provisional list. The subject is so curious and 

 interesting that possibly some people may be induced to go 

 farther towards completing the collection. 



Bovianders, as may be expected, believe in the Indian 

 beenas as do some of the Creoles in town who have adopted 

 the notion. But they do not appear to scarify themselves 

 for they are not so much inclined to test their own power of 

 endurance. Love charms are in vogue, and even educated 

 people have inquired for them. The good-luck seed (Cer- 

 bera thevetia) , is in almost every market-woman's purse or 

 wallet, but I cannot find that this is an Indian beena, al- 

 though it is much used for belts and anklets in dances. It 

 may be suggested that possibly anatto may be an Indian 

 beena, although I cannot find that it is called so; it is, how- 

 ever, supposed to be protective against insects and may, per- 

 haps, when rubbed all over the skin, with oil, ward off chills. 



A very pretty caladium with white blotches is often 

 grown outside a window in town ; this is the money or good- 

 luck beena. The signature suggests silver, but it is supposed 

 to be more effectual if a sixpence or shilling be planted un- 

 der the tubers. A man told me that he once, when a boy, 

 stole the shilling his mother had planted to insure good-luck. 

 There is another caladium with red and white spots which 

 is also grown to promote good luck; it is fairly common. 

 I cannot find that these are rubbed over the body; they are 



