ornithologist's text-book. 45 



effects of the wourali poison, used by the Indians 

 for the poisoning of their arrows, will be accepta- 

 ble to such of our readers as do not possess these 

 exquisitely delightful Wanderings : — 



" During this time [three years after Mr. W. had 

 arrived in England], several experiments were 

 made with the wourali poison. In London, an ass 

 was inoculated with it, and died in twelve minutes. 

 The poison was inserted into the leg of another, 

 round which a bandage had been previously tied a 

 little above the place where the wourali was in- 

 troduced. He walked about as usual, and ate his 

 food as though all were right. After an hour had 

 elapsed, the bandage was untied, and ten minutes 

 after death overtook him. 



" A she-ass received the wourali poison in the 

 shoulder, and died apparently in ten minutes. An 

 incision was then made in its windpipe, and through 

 it the lungs were regularly inflated for two hours 

 with a pair of bellows. Suspended animation re- 

 turned. The ass held up her head, and looked 

 around ; but the inflating being discontinued, she 

 sunk once more in apparent death. The artificial 

 breathing was immediately recommenced, and con- 

 tinued without intermission for two hours more. 

 This saved the ass from final dissolution ; she rose 

 up, and walked about ; she seemed neither in agi- 

 tation nor in pain. The wound, through which 

 the poison entered, was healed without difficulty. 

 Her constitution, however, was so severely affected, 

 that it was long a doubt if ever she would be well 

 again. She looked lean and sickly for above a year, 

 but began to mend the spring after ; and by Mid- 

 summer became fat and frisky. 



" The kind-hearted reader will rejoice on learn- 

 ing that Earl Percy, pitying her misfortunes, sent 

 her down from London to Walton Hall [the seat 

 of Mr.W.], near Wakefield. There she goes by the 



