The Indian’s Acute Perceptive Senses, 
used as a camp, just as happened to be now, the case, by a party of 
Macusis who had returned from a fishing excursion with a big catch, 
the greater number of which consisted of Erythrinus unitaeniatus Split. 
Although we could have reached Nappi settlement, the terminus of our 
trip, even today without any great effort, we nevertheless determined 
to overnight it here with the strangers, who gladly shared their harvest 
with us. Several bright fires soon blazed under the pots, and their 
columns of smoke curled lightly up between the dense foliage of the 
giant trees. I also had many an opportunity here of admiring the acute 
perceptive sense of the Indians for every sound, for every noise. Hardly 
had any note or only a rustle attracted their attention than they likewise 
designated the animal, were it a bird or an insect, by which the one or 
the other was produced. Many a bird that was even yet perched in 
among the verdant branches, was roasting a few minutes later on a spit 
over the fire. 
900. With early morn we were up and away through the dense 
forest. The wild screeching of the parrots, in conjunction with a note, 
sounding at regular intervals, which I can only compare with the lowing 
of a calf, greeted the early dawn: I could not believe that this note pro- 
ceeded from a bird until I confirmed it myself with my own eyes. It was 
•the Capuchin bird (Coracina calva Tern.) remarkable enough in appear- 
ance already. The bald head which makes it look exactly like a philoso- 
pher engaged in the deepest speculation, is assumed only with advancing 
years: in the younger birds it is covered with a whitish down. 1 have 
never met the creature so plentifully as in the Canuku Range. The lovely 
chime of the bell-bird also reached me from different directions through 
the silent forest, but I did not see the songster on this occasion either. 
901. After several hours’ further advance through the dark forest, 
during which I continually had to admire the Indians who, in spite of 
their heavy load, nevertheless hurried at such a pace that Tiedge and I 
could hardly keep up with them along the path which was too narrow 
to permit of my even turning out the tips of my toes, the green walls 
finally thinned and we stood once more on the banks of the little river 
Nappi, in which several women and children were just then taking 
their morning bath. Xappi village spread itself out before us on the 
opposite shore. As the bathers noticed us Europeans they fled in great 
commotion and excitement to the settlement, where they started all the 
residents in an uproar with the crv of “Paranaghieri.” The village 
comprised seven houses, out of the doors of which the anxious mothers 
and children stealthily peeped, while the men, coming towards us, wel- 
comed me by passing the flat of the hand from side to side it front of my 
face and then shaking hands. Among the men I found several who had 
been engaged in Pirara with the transport of the baggage and I had not 
yet been five minutes in the village when a pretty girl greeted me with a 
drinking cup full of nice (!) paiwari: she was so nervous and confused, 
however, that at first she remained standing quite a while some distance 
off, until emphatically told to proceed by her mother’s threatening voice 
audible from the house. As the poor thing drew near she was so over- 
come with fear and trembling that to my great jov she spilt the largest 
