340 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
snakes ? The agami or trumpeter [Psopkia 
crepitans) is said to be quite unaffected by a snake- 
bite. I can testify that it is a fearless and indis- 
criminate snake-hunter, and that it seizes a snake 
by any part of the body, so that the snake might 
easily seize it in return, and perhaps does so some- 
times. When at Panure, on the river Uaupes, we 
had a tame agami which so attached itself to me that 
it would follow me about like a dog, and never failed 
to kill any snake that came in our way. One day I 
was alone with the agami in a caatinga about four 
miles from the village, where I lingered about a 
good while in a spot comparatively clear of under- 
wood, but abounding in certain minute plants 
(Burmanniaceae) which I was much interested to 
gather. Whilst I hunted for plants the agami 
hunted for snakes, and had already caught three or 
four, which it brought and laid before me as it 
caught them. I suppose I had not noticed and 
praised its prowess as I usually did, for at length — 
apparently determined to attract my attention — it 
laid a newly-caught snake on my naked feet, when 
I was standing erect, absorbed in the examination 
of a little Burmannia with my lens. The snake was 
scarcely injured, and immediately twined up my leg. 
To snatch it off and jerk it away into the bush was 
the work of a moment ; but ever afterwards I took 
care to leave the agami at home when I started for 
the forest. A professional snake-hunter, however, 
could hardly do better than enlist a pair of agami's 
in his service. The Brazilian Government might 
promote the keeping of these birds in large 
numbers, for the express purpose of reducing the 
pest of snakes in the neighbourhood of towns, 
