The Plague of Chigoes. 
89 
of the branches and flats of the leaves. Those that I noticed most fre- 
quently were Tanagra cay ana Linn., T. ochropygos, T. nigerrima L. dm., 
1. Java pa Linn., 7. olirascens Linn., Sylvia cyanocepliata Lath., Tachy- 
ykonus versicolor d’Orb. 1 also often came across the pretty little Guiana 
songsters Euphone viola cea and E, rufiventris: just as often the dainty 
~S cctarinia coerulea 111. and N. cyanea 111. and associated with them, 
several small species of woodpeckers; Dendrocolaptes guttatas Licht, 
was never wanting in such a gathering. If a little brushwood made its 
appearance here and there, one could be assured of finding the Hokko 
hen (Crax alcctor Tern. ), the Jaku {Penelope eristata Tern.) and the 
small species P. marail and P. pi-pile Lath., and P. Parraca Tern, as well 
as the Crypt urns Tao and C. rariegatus. The two last mentioned are 
most excellent poultry, far surpassing Cra.r and Penelope in taste. Tin- 
large blue eggs of the Penelope are just as palatable: these 1 are laid in 
a cavity in the ground where one generally finds from six to seven in 
the nest. The red eggs of Crypt urns rariegatus are not quite so big as 
those of a fowl, but as toothsome as that of the C. Tao. With plenty of 
spoil T returned with my companion to Oumaka next day. 
340. For some time past I had experienced at night a continual 
itching and burning sensation, especially in the toes and under the soles 
of the feet, but had paid no attention to it hitherto, as I generally started 
on my outings directly at daybreak: it soon increased however to such 
an extent one evening that I got a coloured man to examine mj- foot 
next morning and was not a lilt-tie surprised when he assured me that 
a whole mass of sand fleas (Pulex penetrans) were buried in the parts 
affected. I immediately had to submit to the painful operation of hav- 
ing 83 specimens extracted within the course of half an hour, and T 
still call to mind with a cold shudder those minutes when at last, on 
the soles being cleared, the nails had to be cut to pieces in the spots 
where the insects had settled.* The burrowing of the vermin is not 
taken notice of at all, because the slight itching, with which it commences 
its burrowing, cannot disturb one's dee]* sleep after a '.strenuous day. 
It- is only after the first 48 hours that marked inflammation is set up, 
when one finds in the painful places a bluish spot about the size of a 
pea. This is the egg-capsule in which generally hundreds of eggs are 
found already laid. The worm-like maggots slip out unusually quickly 
and continue the boring operation commenced by the mother, unless 
prevented doing so by being extracted. So long as I yet remained free 
from the plague, I had often had to smile at the gruesome grimaces 
noticeable each morning when, on interrupting my outing, I went over 
to the Indians’ houses where the whole adult family, squatting around 
on the ground, would be examining their feet from all points of view to see 
whether the sharply-pointed little pieces of wood or the knife was re 
quired. Even the poor dogs were plagued most unmerciful : v with 
chigoes, which also in their case bury themselves in the soles and make 
it practically impossible for the animals to run. If a pitiful mistress 
is not to hand, which is never the case with Warrau women, for they 
do not even possess sufficient motherly love to keep their little children 
* The orthodox Indian practice is to take a pin or needle, pick away and turn aside the 
superficial and surrounding skin, and then squeeze out the capsule in its entirety. (Ed.) 
