302 TiMEHRI. 



of its disappearance. Should they find this out they 

 hasten with uncommon swiftness from one branch to the 

 other towards the thick foliage of the tree-tops, either to 

 hide there or to fly from thence to the next tree and so 

 on. They build their nests on the ground, but as soon 

 as their young ones have acquired some skill in using 

 their wings they lead them from one bush to tbe other 

 until they can reach the branches of a tree. Except 

 at daybreak their strange rattling voice is never heard. 

 The flesh of the older birds is edible only if they 

 have been killed by a poisoned arrow dipped in Urari, 

 which poison renders the otherwise tough flesh perfe6lly 

 tender. 



The entire absence of beasts of prey in the high 

 regions inhabited by the Arekunas may account for their 

 using only the blowpipe for shooting purposes, which 

 weapon they handle in such a masterly way as to hit 

 their mark at a height from 150 to 180 feet. I already 

 mentioned that the Indian prefers increasing his stock of 

 domestic animals by getting them when very young and 

 when sucklings, and handing them over to the maternal 

 cares of his wife. I here witnessed in what manner the 

 Arekunas proceed to tame an old stubborn monkey. If 

 they wish to take one of these animals alive they cover 

 the arrows with diluted poison, which only stupefies the 

 monkey. If in this condition the monkey drops from 

 the tree they immediately suck his wound, bury him up 

 to his throat into the ground, and make him swallow a 

 strong solution of nitrous earth, or if this is not at hand 

 sugar or cane juice. As soon as the patient has half 

 recovered his senses, he is taken out of his temporary 

 grave and is tightly bound up in palm leaves after the 



