26 TlMEHRI. 
same day, a young fellow in a spirit of pure merriment 
held a gigantic grasshopper by the wings with 
its head towards him and chopped pieces off its tail 
with his knife, to make it whirr. Such is the record of 
cruelties practised by the Indians of a single settle- 
ment in a single day. On the other hand, they are 
careful not to hurt any animal which they may be able 
to sell or barter. But they are entirely without kindly 
feelings towards animals ; and, indeed, they seem to 
be curiously unsympathetic toward pain, not only to that 
of other animals but also of their own fellows, and even 
of their nearest relations. 
It is, therefore, a fallacy to suppose that Indians, at 
least those of Guiana, feel any natural affection for animals. 
As a matter of fact an Indian appears almost incapable 
of such a feeling. But he has good reasons for increas- 
ing and taking care of his live-stock. In the first place 
he probably feels a certain child-like pleasure in the bright 
colours of many of the birds; and just as he hangs their fea- 
thers, and sometimes their entire skins about his body, by 
way of ornament, so he likes to see plenty of them living 
in and about his house. But his chief value for his 
live-stock is that he regards this as so much coin with 
which to purchase what he wants from other In- 
dians. He keeps some of the birds, too, for the 
express purpose of supplying him with the fea- 
thers of which he makes many of his body ornaments ; 
just as English fishing-tackle makers keep macaws, and 
perhaps other birds, to supply a feather or two when 
these are wanted for fly-making. 
According to the rude system of division of labour 
