Tame animals among the red men of America. 37 
may more or less frequently be seen among Indians. 
A few other birds are worthy of mention. Vicissi ducks 
{Anas autumnalis), which get their Indian name from the 
whistling noise vicissi-vicissi which they make when 
flying, are among the prettiest ; two of these with which 
I made friends, afterwards killed themselves by drinking 
cassava water — the poisonous juice squeezed out of the 
cassava root in the process of preparing it as wholesome 
food. This is not an unusual fate for Indian animals. Tame 
bill-birds or toucans, with their enormous and gaudy 
beaks, are most comical objects, but they can give a very 
sharp bite if handled too freely. They think nothing 
of attacking and putting dogs to flight. Troupials, the 
moramoroota of Indians, {Icterus jamacaii), starling-like 
birds, black and reddish orange in colour, are highly 
valued. One of these after annoying me for some time 
afterward did me good service. It was, as all its kind 
are, a most inquisitive bird, hopping about the roof and 
pecking at everything that came into its way. Occa- 
sionally, at the most unexpected moments, a shower of 
arrows or of some other objects, dislodged by the bird, 
came down on my head. It was also wonderfully skilful 
in pecking one's hands, often darting its needle-pointed 
beak hard in between the fincrer nails and the finder 
and drawing blood, till I believe it acquired a regular 
taste for that food. It was in the habit of going to a 
basket of cassava bread to pick off crumbs for itself. 
This basket, lined and covered with leaves, stood on the 
floor of the house, which was built on piles. One day 
the moramoroota hopped cheerfully as usual up to the 
basket and darted its head in among the leaves. The 
