r a river, where they can fish, but in the highlands they
have been known to die of starvation.

These natives are fonder of corn than of any other food, and when
working for the whites would leave without a word if no more corn
or flour were forthcoming. They like, too, to have meat every day,
though they cannot always get it. They rarely, if ever, kill any of
their domestic animals for food, as, according to their views, man is
only the manager for the gods to whom these creatures really belong,
and cows, sheep, and the like can be killed only as sacrifices and
eaten at the feasts. But any kind of animal in the forest and field,
in the air and the water, is acceptable. I once asked a strong and
healthy-looking Indian how he managed to keep in such good condition,
when food was so scarce, and he said that he ate meat, "What kind of
meat?" I asked, and he replied, "Mice, gophers, and small birds." Their
favourite meat, however, is deer, mice, and skunks.

Chunks of meat are simply laid upon the coals to roast, or turned
before the fire on a wooden spit, the ends of which rest on
stones. This, by the way, is the universal method of cooking meat
in Mexico. These Indians often eat their meat almost raw, nor have
they any repugnance to blood, but boil and eat it. Fish and frogs are
broiled by being placed between two thin sticks tied together at the
ends to do duty as a gridiron.

The flowers of the maize are dried in the sun, ground and mixed
with water; if not required for immediate consumption they are put
in jars and kept for the winter. Many herbs are very palatable, as,
for instance, the makvasari (of the _Crucifercae_), which is also kept
for winter use after having been properly dried. In the autumn the
Indians sometimes eat potatoes, which, when cultivated at all, are
planted between the corn, but grow no larger than pigeon eggs. The
people eat three kinds of fungi, and they have an extensive knowledge
of the poisonous ones. Salt and chile are used as relishes.

A peculiar delicacy is ari, the secretion of a scale insect, _carteria
mexcicana_. In the months of July and August it is gathered from the
branches of certain trees in the barrancas, rolled by hand into thick
brown sticks, and thus preserved for the winter. A small portion is
boiled in water and eaten as a sauce with the corn porridge. Its taste
is sweetish acid, not particularly pleasant to the palate, but very
refreshing in effect, and it is said to