HINTKRLAXD NOTES 467 



extent of eountrv upon the <>roiiii(l. Tlie red liowler affords 

 the listener daily and ni*>htlv entertainments, in these forests. 

 To describe the noises made is impossil)le. The cadence from 

 fortissimo to mez/o-forte is not impleasin<J'. One would miss 

 these howlers, in the wilds. Mi/cctcs seniculus conveys no 

 ]iicture of the howler. The Sakiwinkie, with its olive and 

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

 black and tluH'y marmosette is also in demand. I have seen 

 both of these monkeys leapin^^ and scram])lino' amongst the 

 trees, at Uruata, or swarming up the trunks. ^\s 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 si)lendid 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. 

 ^A^ounded 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 donbling, 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 hrst. 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 sandhachi) ; 

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

 may be found in the Rapo-nunni. 



