102 TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON. [November, 
fish practised here. They are partially skinned, and a 
large piece of meat cut out from each side, leaving the 
backbone with the head and skin attacked. Each piece 
of meat is then cut lengthways, so as to unfold into a 
large flat slab, which is then slightly sprinkled with salt 
and laid upon a board. Other slices are laid on this, 
and, when the salt has penetrated sufficiently, they are 
hung upon poles or laid upon the ground in the sun to 
dry, which does not occupy more than two or three days. 
They are then packed up in bundles of about a hundred 
pounds each, and are ready for market. The bones and 
heads furnish a fine feast for the vultures, and sometimes 
a jaguar will carry them away in the night, but he pre- 
fers an entire fish if one is left in his way. 
Immediately on the fish being cut up, every part of 
it is blackened by thousands of flies, which keep up a 
continual hum the whole day. In fact, the sound of 
animal life never ceases. Directly after sunset, the herons, 
bitterns, and cranes begin their discordant cries, and 
the boat-bills and frogs set up a dismal croaking. The 
note of one frog deserves a better name : it is an agree- 
able whistle, and, could it be brought into civilized 
society, would doubtless have as many admirers as the 
singing mouse, or the still more marvellous whistling 
oyster described by ‘ Punch.' All night long, the alli- 
gators and fish keep up a continual plunging ; but, with 
the grey of morning, commence the most extraordinary 
noises. All of a sudden ten thousand white- winged pa- 
roquets begin their morning song with such a confusion 
of piercing shrieks as it is quite impossible to describe : 
a hundred knife-grinders at full work would give but a 
