GuiNEA-PiGS That Will Not Live in Captivity. 197 
the Indians on the banks of the HnaUaga adopt the same procedure 
when they wish to break in an old monkey. 
447. As to the little guinea-pig ( Cavia leucopyga) already mentioned 
(sect. 441), six to eight living si>ecimens Avould often be brought to us but 
without our being able to keep them alive : the Indians' statement that 
they could never by any manner of means be tamed, was confirmed. Had 
we ten or twelve together, none would be alive after the tliird day. 
They live in holes out of which they are driven by pouring water in, and 
then easily caught. Tlie jielt has a dark grey colour, the belly is 
whitish : the forefeet are short, tliree inches in length, the hind feet some- 
wliat longer. The female has only two teats in close proximity to the 
genitals. Its silky-like fur is attached so delicately to the skin that even 
the slightest touch of the hand knocks it off and leaves a bare space. 
448. I have alread}^ stated how very poor the rivers were as regards 
fish, but the va:lleys and river banks harboured snakes all the more: 
rattle-snakes from 4 to ü ft. long were brought in. On one of my 
botanical excursions I myself came across a large Coulacauara {Boa 
constrictor) that miglit have resulted in unpleasan.t effects on my person 
had not the sharp eyes of my young companion Misseyarai, the 
Macusi, observed it before my disturbing it in the dense thicket 
of tree-ferns {Mertensia ) bordering a forest oasis to which 
we were making our way. The noise of our footsteps may have 
attracted its attention, for with its head raised above the closely-set 
shrubs it had probably been watching us absolutely motionless for quite 
some minutes before Misseyarai perceived and pointed it out to me. Had 
I seen the thing before, I would have taken it for the extremity of some 
thin upstanding branch. We were without any weapons, and "Our 
Village" was too far away to fetcli any from there before sundown. 
Nevertheless in, sp'ite of Misseyarai's remonstrances and fright as well 
as the repugnance of the dog that followed us, my mind was (piickly 
made up to attempt at least to kill' the animal, and a thick cudgel for 
hitting it was soon found. When Misseyarai saw that I was not to be 
dissuaded from my ]»urpose, he drew back from the probable field of 
battle: the dog, Avith tail b(»t\veen its legs, went and squatted down 
beside him and watched my movements just as attentively as did its 
friend. While the re])ti1e still held its head stiff and rigid above the 
bushes, I cautiously di-ew near so as to get within reach and give it a 
smashing blow with my club : but just at the very moment that I was 
about to do so, the creatine disappeared undei* the green covering, the 
])eculiarly sw4ft movements of the fern fronds indicating the direcion that 
it had taken. The denseness of the thicket prevented my getting in, but 
its movements showed me the course followed by the snake, which 
again soon approached the edge, along which I hurried to keep it in 
line. The winding movements in the tree-ferns suddenly came to a 
stop and the creature's head burst through the thick covering of leaves, 
probably to have a look round at its pursuer. A fortunate blow struck 
it so forcibly that it sank back senseless : but lest it should come to 
life again, the cudgelling was several times repeated. Like the 
