3316 Zoology of Panama. 



Before the Cedron was known, many deaths occurred from the bite of 

 snakes. The people used to wear — and still wear, in some parts of 

 the country — around their necks or legs, an alligator's tooth stuffed 

 with some herbs, as a charm against the bite. I once saw a boy who 

 expired two hours after having been bitten, and in the afternoon the 

 body was swollen to at least double its former size, presenting a fright- 

 ful appearance. Great caution is therefore necessary; but fortunately 

 the presence of a snake is generally known before the animal is seen 

 or heard. The natives attribute this to a smell peculiar to these rep- 

 tiles ; but this smell not being perceived by Europeans, and the pre- 

 sence of the snakes notwithstanding known, it must be ascribed to 

 some cause yet to be explained. Toads and other frog-like animals 

 are most numerous during the wet season. A very minute species, 

 beautifully spotted with black and red dots, is said to be used by the 

 Indians to poison their arrows. The abundance of toads about Por- 

 tobelo has often been noticed. Mr. Lloyd says, " So prodigious is 

 their number after rain, that the popular prejudice is that the drops 

 of rain are changed into toads (de cado goto viene un sapo) ; and even 

 the more learned maintain, that the eggs of this animal are raised with 

 the vapour from the adjoining swamps, and being conveyed to the 

 city by the rains, are there hatched. The large size of the animals, 

 however, many of them being from four to six inches in breadth, suf- 

 ficiently attests their mature growth in more favourable circumstan- 

 ces. After a night of rain, the streets are almost covered with them, 

 and it is impossible to walk without crushing some." 



The number of fishes, especially in the Bay of Panama, early gave 

 rise to the name of Panama, or "place where fish abound." The mar- 

 ket of the capital is well stocked, in particular with rock cod, snap- 

 pers, yellow-bellies, dolphins, whiting, soles, cat-fish, bonito, albicore, 

 and young sharks. Devil-fish, sharks (some measuring 30 feet), and 

 various other kinds, infest the sea-coast. The rivers are very prolific 

 in fish. The Indians, in order to procure them, form parties, and after 

 spreading a net across the shoal part of a river, commence driving the 

 animals towards it by beating the water and by w T ild exclamations. 

 On arriving at the net, the captives are killed by a blow, and thrown 

 upon a raft, anchored for that purpose in the middle of the stream. A 

 more simple method is that of stupifying the fish with the juice of the 

 Manzanilla (Hippomane Manzanilla, Linn.), the bark of Espava 

 (Anacardium Rhinocarpus, Deand), or the leaves of Barbasco (Piper, 

 sp.) A net is placed from bank to bank, and the substances thrown 

 into the river. The effect is surprizing : the fish instantly appear on 



