Amazonian Fishes. 



479 



belong to the Cat-fish family (Siluridce), naked with bar- 

 bels, and mainly to the group Pimelodina. The Lorica- 

 7-ias, or cuirassed Silurids, are also comparatively numer- 

 ous. Scale-fish seem to' be most abundant above the falls 

 on the tributaries, and the skin-fish below. They are usu- 

 ally captured by poisoning the water (as with " bai'basco "), 

 and by means of spears, arrows, and hooks. A novel meth- 

 od I witnessed on the Tapajos : two Indians di-agged a ca- 

 noe lengthwise down stream, while a third followed after 

 with a long palm-branch which provoked the fishes to leap 

 out of the water, most of which fell into the canoe. 



The Pira-rucd. 



Pii-a-rucii, Payshi, or Anatto {Arapaima gigas), the Cod- 

 fish of the Amazons, is the unixersal diet on the river, and, 

 after rubber and cacao, the most important article of trade. 

 It is sometimes found, but rarely, ten feet long, weighing 

 300 pounds. It is covered with large, hard, red scales; 

 has a smooth head, wide mouth, no barbels, and bands of 

 rasp-like teeth in various parts of the mouth. It abounds 

 in iagunes and clear water. Places, usually dry sand-banks. 



