HIGHER LIFE IN WA TEES. 95 



3. Let us take the portrait of this fish. Doubtless the 

 reader figures to himself a fish of "a lean and hungry 

 look,'' a very Cassius of a fish, with the lantern-jaws of a 

 pike. But, in fact, the pirai is somewhat aldermanic and 

 like a bream in figure, with a fighting-looking kind of 

 nose, and a wondrously expressive eye. The jaw is square, 

 powerful, and locked into a very large head for the size of 

 the fish ; and that is a fat, plump head too, but radiated 

 over with strong bone and gristle. The teeth — ah ! they 

 would condemn him anywhere, for hero is a fish sixteen 

 inches long with the teeth almost of a shark. 



4. This voracious fish is found plentifully in all the 

 rivers in Guiana, and is dreaded by every other inhabit- 

 ant or visitant of the river. Their jaws are so strong that 

 they are able to bite off a man's finger or toe. They at- 

 tack fish of ten times their own weight, and devour all but 

 the head. They begin with the tail, and the fish, being 

 left without the chief organ of motion, is devoured with 

 ease, several going to participate of the meal. Indeed, 

 there is scarcely any animal which it will not attack, man 

 not excepted. Large alligators which have been wounded 

 on the tail afford a fair chance of satisfying their hunger, 

 and even the toes of this formidable animal are not free 

 from their attacks. The feet of ducks and geese, where 

 they are kept, are almost invariably cut off, and young 

 ones devoured altogether. In these places it is not safe to 

 bathe, or even to wash clothes, many cases having occurred 

 of fingers and toes being cut off by them. 



5. Of course, the lines which are used to capture them 

 have to be armed with metal, to prevent their being cut 

 through. Their voracity is marvelous, and any bait will 

 attract them the instant it is thrown into the water. Pre- 

 caution is necessary, however, when the fish is lifted out 

 of the water, or it will inflict serious wounds in its 

 struggles. The fisherman, therefore, has a small bludgeon 



