ThK MaEOOKA oil HOKNEU SCKJBAMEll. 
£65 
hundred young ones. Besides several otlier interesting fish I got lioM 
of Chelichthys psittaous the A>'urwurima of the Indians, who maintained 
that its bite causes death. From m Jiat the Warraus told us, the Akawais 
prej)are one of their deadliest poisons from this fish, by drying and 
powdering it up fine. 1 lune several limes mentioned how little or how 
much reliability can be placed upon the statements of Indians relative 
to animals being poisonous or innocuous. The peculiar Asprcdo tibicen 
Tern., Bayrus proopa ^'al., B. ntcsops Vul., B. Pasaanij ^'al., and (laleich- 
thys Gronovii Val. were very frequently caught on the hook. 
888. The husky screech of innumera])h' waterfowl, snch as /7>/-9, 
Platalea^ Ardca, Cliaratlrins, X ii uiciiiii.s, i^( olop<i,r, Larns, and Rltyn- 
cliops, resounded in the air almost all the day and night through. 
;Swarms of small sand]>ipers ran at to])most speed in one direction close 
in shore, and owing to their colour corresponding with that of the wet 
sand, were only perceptil)le when the oncoming billows forced them 
either to alter their course or rise — in short, the animated coastal scene, 
altering with every second, again unfolded itself before me in its en- 
tirety. With nightfall hundreds of beautiful frigate-birds (Tarliypelrfi 
AqiiiJa Vieill.) flew over the sandbank, but always out of gunshot. Tt 
is a grand sight to see these big birdsi with their pretty forked tail as 
they fly along with ease, rapidity, and grace, and watch how skilfully 
and simply they combat the biggest storm, remaining at a standstill in 
the air often for minutes at a time, and then, with the swiftness of an 
arrow, suddenly swoop down into the water after a fish. As these birds 
flew over the sandbank every evening I do not doubt lint that, owing to 
the absence of all rocks and rocky islands in British Guiana, they pass 
the night on the trees in the neighbouring forest. They do not have to 
nest in Guiana. 
889. The small rainy season had now set in and a fiesh attack of 
bad fever forced me to turn back without being able to see the Orinoco 
again. After an eight days' stay I proceeded up the Waini richly laden 
with spoil. We were delighted to welcome Barimani again, because 
after two weary days and nights it Avas the first to offer us a dry spot 
where we landed and were able to stretch our cramped limbs, and pass 
tlie night. 
890. On the following day we reached the Beara and, soon after 
that, the Asacota, which I had to enter: the fever shook me up so violent- 
Iv and mercilessly that T found myself forced to look out for the Arawak 
settlement of the same name situated on it. We managed to shoot one 
of the beautiful large Mahookas or Horned Screamers (Palamedra 
cornufa Linn.) at the water-side liere. Although the bird seems to bo 
distributed over the whole of Guiana this was the first specimen I had 
seen: nevertheless I had often heard its peculiar noisy note in the forest. 
The Indians do not eat its flesh— I do not know for what reason— and 
only use its large tail-feathers for their arrow/barl)s. Frcun what the 
Indians say, it builds its nest on the ground in swampy woodlands. I 
saw a secoiid specimen later on in Georgetown which strange to say had 
been shot there in the garden at the Seamen's Hospital, and must have 
evidently flown too far, because the Palamcdca is one of the shyest birdy 
