204 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [BTH, ANN. 38 
few leaves of the cumapuru bruised with the leaves of the kunami 
shrub and the dried light pericarp of the arisauru (Pterocarpus 
guianensis Aubl.), to give buoyancy to the mass, are the ingredients 
of the floating pills cast into the river along with pills of dough to 
tempt the greed of the fishes and to paralyze and kill them (Da, 
212). So, again, Indians will catch the larger kind of grasshopper, 
and having extracted the inside fill the belly of the insect with the 
quanami, a strong narcotic plant, the leaves of which they make into 
a paste and throw it into the river. The fish has no sooner swallowed 
its prey than it begins to feel the effects of the poison and in a few 
seconds expires, floating on the surface of the water (BE, 39). But, 
on the other hand, independently of any actual bait, the water itself 
may be “ poisoned” with the Clébadiwm on similar lines as the 
Lonchocarpus. 
212. Tephrosia toxicaria Pers. is employed by the Makusi Indians, 
who call it yarro-conalli, for poisoning the yarro (yarrau), which is 
not stupefied by the milky juice of the haiari (SR, 11,153). [Strange 
to say, a fish poison of the same.genus is employed by the North 
Queensland blacks. | 
213. Phyllanthus conami Sw., recorded by Schomburgk (SR, 1, 
347-348) , and other species, are known as cumapuru (Da, 212), kuna- 
puru (Mak.), or cunaparu (J. Rodway). I take it to be identical 
with the gunapulu (of Surinam) noted by Kappler (AK, 189), the 
konabaro of the Arawak, the aru-arani of the Warrau. The two 
latter nations employ it as follows: After the flowers have blos- 
somed, the leaves are said to be “stronger,” and they are then very 
tightly packed into a “crab” or manicol-leaf quake. If in running 
water, this is fixed with a stake pierced through it and so held with the 
one hand just above the water. By means of a pointed stick, grasped 
in the other hand, the leaves are all “jerked ” until the whole basket 
is broken away, the milky juice being at the same time expressed 
from the leaves. It is said to be a very powerful poison. If in a 
pond, the leaves are not pinned with any stake, but just jerked as 
before. 
214. Mullera moniliformis, the (?) haiari-balli of the Arawak, has 
been mentioned as a fish poison (IT, 234), but the statement is cer- 
tainly denied at the present time by members of this nation on the 
Pomeroon and Moruca. 
215. On the Amazons the Indians catch the full-grown turtles with 
the hook, net, or arrow. The last is the most ingenious method and 
requires the most skill. The turtle never shows its back above water, 
only rising to breathe, which it does by protruding its nostrils almost 
imperceptibly above the surface. The Indian’s keen eyes perceive 
this, even at a considerable distance, but an arrow shot obliquely 
