﻿522 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  fish 
  now 
  known 
  to 
  be 
  living 
  in 
  Lake 
  Titicaca 
  and 
  in 
  its 
  tributary 
  

   rivers 
  belong 
  either 
  to 
  the 
  family 
  Pygidiidae, 
  genus 
  Pygidium, 
  or 
  to 
  

   the 
  family 
  Orestiidae, 
  genus 
  Orestias. 
  

  

  A 
  variety 
  of 
  dragnets 
  and 
  scoop 
  nets 
  are 
  employed. 
  Formerly, 
  

   these 
  were 
  made 
  of 
  fine, 
  two-ply 
  llama-wool 
  thread. 
  At 
  least 
  one 
  type 
  

   is 
  of 
  basketry 
  (fig. 
  45, 
  center). 
  Nets 
  are 
  fabricated 
  and 
  mended 
  with 
  

   a 
  small 
  wooden 
  bobbin 
  and 
  a 
  wooden 
  net 
  gage. 
  Net 
  floats 
  are 
  made 
  of 
  

   small 
  bundles 
  of 
  totora 
  reed. 
  Sinkers 
  are 
  either 
  disk-shaped 
  stones 
  

   grooved 
  around 
  the 
  perimeter 
  or 
  flattish, 
  ovoid 
  stones, 
  perforated 
  from 
  

   both 
  sides. 
  The 
  fish 
  spear 
  has 
  four 
  unbarbed 
  iron 
  (formerly 
  hard- 
  

   wood) 
  points 
  secured 
  to 
  a 
  10-foot 
  (3 
  m.) 
  shaft 
  with 
  three-ply 
  cordage 
  

   of 
  human 
  hair 
  (fig. 
  44, 
  e) 
  . 
  Often 
  it 
  is 
  combined 
  with 
  the 
  balsa 
  pole. 
  

  

  In 
  shallow 
  rivers 
  and 
  ponds, 
  fish 
  are 
  taken 
  with 
  the 
  hands. 
  On 
  Lake 
  

   Titicaca, 
  the 
  hook 
  and 
  line 
  is 
  not 
  used. 
  La 
  Barre 
  reports 
  the 
  former 
  

   use 
  of 
  a 
  stone 
  hook 
  in 
  Oruro, 
  and 
  Bertonio 
  mentions 
  this 
  technique 
  for 
  

   his 
  time 
  (La 
  Barre, 
  ms.). 
  The 
  latter 
  also 
  states 
  that 
  fish 
  were 
  taken 
  

   with 
  a 
  loop, 
  using 
  a 
  worm 
  for 
  bait. 
  Seines, 
  poisons, 
  traps, 
  and 
  weirs 
  

   are 
  not 
  used. 
  Fish 
  are 
  not 
  killed, 
  but 
  are 
  allowed 
  to 
  die 
  and 
  then 
  

   strung 
  on 
  a 
  cord 
  with 
  a 
  perforated 
  wooden 
  needle, 
  or 
  on 
  a 
  reed. 
  

  

  Fish 
  are 
  usually 
  taken 
  during 
  the 
  day 
  in 
  the 
  "big 
  net" 
  (fig. 
  45, 
  

   bottom), 
  which 
  is 
  some 
  13 
  feet 
  (4 
  m.) 
  wide 
  by 
  26 
  feet 
  (8 
  m.) 
  deep 
  and 
  

   is 
  dragged 
  between 
  two 
  one-man 
  balsas. 
  Men 
  in 
  other 
  small 
  balsas 
  

   paddle 
  around 
  locating 
  schools 
  of 
  fish. 
  Half 
  of 
  each 
  catch 
  is 
  given 
  

   to 
  the 
  owner 
  of 
  the 
  net, 
  who 
  divides 
  it 
  equally 
  with 
  his 
  helper, 
  the 
  

   fisherman 
  who 
  is 
  nearest 
  the 
  net 
  owner 
  when 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  sighted; 
  

   the 
  other 
  half 
  is 
  shared 
  equally 
  among 
  the 
  other 
  men, 
  who 
  are 
  potential 
  

   helpers 
  to 
  the 
  net 
  owner 
  in 
  the 
  next 
  catch. 
  

  

  A 
  second 
  technique 
  also 
  involves 
  two 
  balsas, 
  which 
  stand 
  parallel 
  

   with 
  the 
  net 
  between 
  them. 
  The 
  net 
  has 
  the 
  same 
  dimensions 
  as 
  

   that 
  mentioned 
  above 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  opening 
  at 
  the 
  apex 
  for 
  removing 
  

   the 
  fish. 
  Men 
  in 
  small 
  balsas 
  form 
  a 
  semicircle 
  and 
  drive 
  the 
  fish 
  by 
  

   tossing 
  pebbles 
  into 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  lashing 
  it 
  with 
  their 
  balsa 
  poles. 
  

   The 
  division 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  is 
  the 
  same. 
  

  

  The 
  fish 
  spear 
  is 
  used 
  only 
  during 
  the 
  day 
  in 
  shallow 
  water 
  along 
  

   the 
  lake 
  edge. 
  

  

  Two 
  types 
  of 
  dip 
  nets 
  (fig. 
  46) 
  are 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  shallow 
  water 
  of 
  Lake 
  

   Titicaca 
  or 
  in 
  rivers. 
  One 
  is 
  some 
  20 
  inches 
  (50 
  cm.) 
  in 
  diameter 
  and 
  

   of 
  equal 
  depth. 
  It 
  is 
  operated 
  from 
  a 
  balsa 
  in 
  shallow 
  water. 
  The 
  

   second 
  type 
  (3 
  feet 
  (1 
  m.) 
  by 
  20 
  inches 
  (50 
  cm.); 
  depth 
  3 
  feet 
  (1 
  m.)) 
  

   is 
  used 
  when 
  wading 
  in 
  shallow 
  water 
  along 
  the 
  lake's 
  edge. 
  

  

  The 
  Aymara 
  prefer 
  to 
  fish 
  on 
  moonless 
  nights, 
  using 
  several 
  types 
  of 
  

   dragnets. 
  The 
  one-man 
  net 
  has 
  a 
  mouth 
  4.9 
  feet 
  (1.5 
  m.) 
  square 
  and 
  

   is 
  of 
  equal 
  depth 
  (fig. 
  45, 
  top). 
  It 
  is 
  towed 
  by 
  a 
  one-man 
  balsa, 
  and 
  

   does 
  not 
  require 
  floats 
  because 
  it 
  has 
  a 
  pole 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  edge 
  

   of 
  its 
  opening. 
  

  

  