THE TAJIN TOTONAC PART 1 KELLY AND PALERM 



349 





i. "When the Mexica were looking for a site for their 

 capital, this bird sang 'teoi,' which in Mexicano means 

 'let's go.' " This anecdote told in Gildardo Muiioz by 

 Constancio Reyes, a school teacher from Papantla. 



11. Gotorra. 



a. koCiyu. 



b. None. 



c. Size of male tordo (No. 37) ; green with red head. 



e. Starts appearing in January and February ; remains 

 until June, Found in monte. 



f. Tree seeds (sic). 



g. Traps, shotgun. 



h. Edible; also kept as caged pet and taught to speak. 

 i. "Incapable of learning Totonac." 

 ;. Parrot (Amazona [?]). 



12. Oareeta. 

 a. lo?q6. 



c. Size of totocalca (No. 39) ; long, thin legs, white plu- 

 mage. 



e. Appears in flocks during July and August ; frequents 

 small streams and ponds. Leaves at start of dry season. 



f. Fish. 



g. Shotgun. 



h. Edible smoked (presumably preliminary to further 

 preparation ) ; "some like it." 

 /. Snowy egret ( ? ) . 



13. Gavildn. 



a. skikin. 



b. None. 



c. Size of golondrina (No. 15) ; chocolate-colored plum- 

 age. 



d. None. 



e. Current throughout the year, in monte. 



f. Preys on poultry. 



g. Shotgun. 



;. Hawk sp. (?). 



14. Gavildn. 

 a. qua 'id. 

 o. None. 



c. Size of tecolote (No. 34) ; brown and white plumage. 



d. kuC ku<5 kuc\ 



e. Current throughout the year, in monte. 



f. Poultry. 



g. Shotgun. 



h. None ; bird of prey. 

 j. Hawk sp. (?). 



15. Golondrina. 

 a. akapupacna. 



ft. "They are cleaning the sky"; (estdn limpiando el 

 ciclo ) . 



c. Size of small dove (No. 38) ; wings larger; chocolate- 

 colored plumage. 



d. pi§. 



e. Bird of passage; appears in rainy season (April- 

 May). 



g. Not hunted. 



j. Swallow sp. ( ? ) . 



16. Lechuza. 



a. akapunfmusni. 



c. Size of tecolote (No. 34) ; chocolate-colored plumage. 



d. Hisses : pis, pis. 



e. "Travels alone" ; appears with the mosquitoes" ; 

 never stays long in one place. 



g. Shotgun. Occasionally hunted out of curiosity, and 

 to stop call, which is an ill omen. 



h. None. 



i. "They live on air alone" ; carry illness (fever and 

 consumption) wherever they perch and hoot, but infirmity 

 contracted only if their call is answered. 



17. Unknown to informant. 

 a. liquaX. 



c. Size of papdn (No. 25) ; orange-red plumage, white 

 tail. 



d. Pedro. 



e. Current throughout the year, near cornfields. 



f. Corn, fruit, seeds. 



g. Not hunted. 



18. Morrocoyo. 



a. mutmut (sic). 



c. Size of dove (No. 24) ; green breast, blue crest, black 

 wings, and long, white-tipped tail. 



d. mut-mut; according to one informant, the song is 

 ugly. 



e. Current "everywhere," throughout the year. Sleeps 

 in holes burrowed in ground. 



g. Shotgun. 



h. Occasionally eaten. 



i. According to one informant, this bird keeps a guard- 

 ian snake in its hole ; snake does not injure bird and 

 protects it from other serpents. 



/. Motmot(?). 



19. Murcx&ago. 

 a. skita . 



c. Black, with rodent face. 



e. Enters the kitchen to eat brown sugar. Bites horses 

 and pigs ; sucks their blood and that of sleeping humans. 

 "One bit Antonio Morales; he lost a great deal of blood." 



f. Brown sugar, fruit, and blood. 

 /. Vampire bat. 



20. Pa jar o alegrdn. 

 a. tan ? silit ? . 



c. Very small and "round"; tailless; orange plumage, 

 white-striped neck. 



d. Whistles. 



e. Current throughout the year, along roadsides and 

 near cornfields. 



g. Not hunted. 



i. "They are happy because their song brings bad luck. 

 For example, someone waits on the road to kill you ; some- 

 thing has gone wrong at home 1 — a child has been burned 

 or has fallen." Another informant speaks of a bird of 

 ill omen, called tantfiX ; another apparently calls the same 

 bird lipsewa or tantfiX. 



21. Pdjaro cardcnal. 

 a. ta ? timulu ? . 



c. Size of tortolita (No. 38) ; the male red and crested; 

 the female, orange-colored. 



