34 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY PUBLICATION NO. 12 



Figure 3. — Fisga, or local fishgig, used to pull a paca or similar animal out of the river when it is trying to escape by 



swimming. 



The covo^ or fish trap, is made of woven strips 

 of taquara (pi. 9, e). It is conical in form, about 

 3I/2 to 4 feet long and 14 inches in diameter at 

 the base. Inside, beginning at the larger end, 

 there is woven inward a second and smaller cone, 

 the weaving of which is terminated a few inches 

 from the apex so that the vertical strips of ta- 

 quara^ which are light and pliable, may easily be 

 pushed apart by an entering fish. Once inside, 

 however, the fish, on turning, is faced with the 

 sharp ends of these strips which have closed to- 

 gether behind it, and is effe<^tively trapped. 

 A few inches from the apex of the outer cone, 

 weaving has similarly been terminated, and the 

 vertical strips of taquara, thus left dangling, are 

 tied together with cipo or cord. By unfastening 

 these strips, a man may readily remove his catch. 

 Although other kinds of fish are occasionally 

 caught in it, the covo is used most for cascudo, 

 bdgre, and mandi. 



The tarrafa is a circular net about 10 feet in 

 diameter, made of stout cord or tucwm fiber. The 

 edges are doubled inward and every 6 to 8 inches 

 lead sinkers are attached. A strong cord is fast- 

 ened to the center of the net to pull it in after 

 casting. The fisherman casts the net from the mar- 

 gin of the river, or from a boat, or while standing 

 in the water at a likely place. After carefully 

 folding the net, a feat which can only be done 

 easily after long experience, the fisherman takes 

 the central cord in one hand and, grasping the 

 edge of the net in the other, awaits an opportune 

 moment for his cast. When a fish is sighted or 

 he otherwise thinks a cast likely to be productive, 

 the fisherman bends his usually supple body in a 

 graceful arc and with both hands flings the net 

 outward in such a way that, as it drops on the 

 water, it is completely spread out and remains 

 at least partially open until it has settled to the 

 bottom of the river. Pulling carefully on the 

 cord, he aids the closing of the heavy lead sinkers 

 around whatever fish happen to be underneath. 

 The fish, feeling the net close over them, often 

 entangle themselves the more with their efforts to 

 escape. Pulling in the net carefully so that it does 

 not leave the bottom of the river until all the leads 



have closed together, the fisherman releases his 

 catch, carefully folds up the net again, and pre- 

 pares for another cast. 



The bait used to catch fish with pole or trotline 

 includes fish worms (minhoca), small fish, siriri, 

 and igd. As has been indicated, siriri are termites 

 at the fl.ying stage in their development and igd 

 are the females of the sauva ant, also at the flying 

 stage and heavy with eggs. Fish worms are used 

 the year around, especially to catch acard, bdgre, 

 and m-aiidi. Siriri and i^d are used when available, 

 usually in September and October, especially to 

 catch pirapitiiiga and lambari, including the 

 piquira. Small acard and lamhari are used to 

 hook the traira. A basket made of taquara and 

 measuring about 12 by 24 inches on the sides and 

 12 inches deep, and suspended from a bamboo pole 

 about 12 feet long, used to be used to catch fish in 

 considerable quantities, especially the lambari- 

 gu-assu, as they leaped a falls in the river on their 

 way upstream to spawn. Its use is now prohibited 

 by law. 



WILD FRUITS 



As has been indicated, several kinds of wild 

 fruit are available in patches of native timber and 

 especially in the virgin mata. A number of these 

 fruits are used by the inhabitants, including the 

 aroigd, araticum, gaiiroha, ingd, jabacari, jahoti- 

 caba, Tnaractijd, pitanga, and uvaia. 



With the exception of the gabiroba {BHtoa sello- 

 wiana) , each of these several fruits is quite com- 

 mon. Most of them ripen sometime between 

 November and March. The jabacan {Psidivm 

 giMJava) grows on a bush which averages 5 to 6 

 feet in height. The leaves are dark green and 

 glossy. The fruit is rather sweet and otherwise 

 tastes somewhat like a plum. At first, it is yellow- 

 ish green in color. As it ripens, however, in 

 December and January, it becomes similar in 

 appearance and size to the Concord grape, and 

 when fully ripe, it is almost black. The seeds are 

 relatively large and vary from two to four to a 

 fruit. It is also variously referred to in the com- 

 munity as guapacari, pacapari, and parapari. 



