190 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [ETH, ANN. 38 
creeks the, stroke of the paddles will cause the fish to jump out of 
the water, and so fall into the boat (G, 1, 279-280). On the Ber- 
bice it is not an uncommon feat to catch the large haimara by find- 
ing it asleep in the morning and placing two of the fingers through 
its eye sockets (Da, 120). The Carib Islanders would dive for fish 
among the rocks and pull them out of the crevices where they lay 
hidden (RO, 506). On the Rupununi River I have seen the imiri 
fish, “ flatheads,” thus caught by the Makusi: The Indian would 
grope in the submerged fenestrated rocks and pull out the creature 
with his hands alone or with a curved stick. Schomburgk also speaks 
of his men diving for ypostoma (SR, 1, 33). Every Indian child 
knows how to “feel” for fish in the river banks, trenches, ete. On 
the Takutu the Indians adopt the simple method of stealing from the 
otters the fish already caught by them. Otters have the habit of 
going into the water and bringing fish after fish to their eating 
place, where, when a sufficient quantity have been heaped up, they 
start eating. The Indians turn this pecuharity to their advantage. 
They carefully stalk the neighborhood of such places, wait patiently, 
and as soon as the otter has returned to the water after depositing 
his booty, take it away (SR, um, 36). An analogous theft is made by 
Indians of tortoises caught by the jaguar (sec. 215). 
186. To entice fish within arrow shot, etc., their sense of sound, 
scent, or sight may be stimulated. 
18%. The only fish to be procured in this part [of the upper Maza- 
runi] was a short, small, stubby creature, having a spot on each 
side, being probably of the same family as the sunfish or lukunanni. 
The Indians procured some by bringing the woodskin to a stop close 
to a bank where rocks or sunken logs were numerous and then whis- 
tling softly, upon which these fish swam slowly out from their hiding 
places as if to inquire into the cause of the sound and were shot with 
the arrow or taken with a baited hook (BB, 392). The Parikuta, 
Makusi, Atorai, and Wapishana will also whistle for fish. The 
Parikuta would seem to have particular whistle sounds for par- 
ticular fish, as electric eels (JO). The yarrau is undoubtedly lured 
by a sort of whistle which the Carib are particularly adept at prac- 
ticing. In September, 1920, I was fishing on a tributary of the 
Barima and could catch nothing, when I chaffed my Carib boat hand 
about the superstition. He thereupon whistled a short, plaintive 
staccato note, and repeated it some six or seven times, when a couple 
of large yarrau put in an appearance. The sound of the rod lashing 
the water surface may give rise to similar results (sec. 193) for 
attracting fish. 
188. In the height of the rainy season fish are scarce and can only 
be procured by means of the arrow, certain ants, spiders, or seeds of 
