beautiful oval-shaped fish, which the natives call _acara_. There are
numerous species, we heard: some of them deposit their eggs in the sand,
and hover over them until the young are hatched; but there are others
which take still greater care of them, and have a cavity near the gills,
in which the male takes up the eggs and carries them there, not only
till they are hatched, but actually keeps the young fry in safety within
them. When able to swim they go out and take exercise; but on the
approach of danger they rush back into their parents' mouths for
protection. This cavity is in the upper part of the bronchial arches.
I should scarcely have believed the fact from the report of the natives,
had I not actually seen both the eggs and the young fry in their
parents' head. There are several species of fish in the waters of the
Amazon which are thus wonderfully supplied with the means of protecting
their young.

"You shall now see another way we have of taking fish," said our friend
Pedro.

We paddled off to a still part of the lake. He then poured out of a
calabash some coloured liquid.

"And now let us land," he said, "and while we take our dinner, watch the
result."

The liquid, he told us, was produced from a poisonous liana called
_tambo_. This is cut up into lengths, washed, and soaked in water,
which becomes thus impregnated with the juice.

Before dinner was over, as we looked out on the pool we saw the surface
covered with fish floating on their sides, with their gills wide open.
The canoe then pushed off, and collected them in great numbers. The
poison appeared to have suffocated the fish, although only a small
quantity had been poured into the water.

We were as successful in shooting birds, monkeys, and other game, as we
were in fishing. One of the Indians used his bow in a curious way,
which we had not before seen employed. Throwing himself on his back, he
placed his feet lifted up above his body against the bow, and drew the
string to his head with both his hands. It was surprising what a
correct aim he could thus take. He quickly brought down several birds
on the wing at a great height. He showed us also that he could shoot up
in the air, and make the arrow fall wherever he pleased. Several times
it descended within a few inches of his own head or feet, where it stuck
quivering in the ground. We dreaded that it might stick into him; but
he laughed at our fears, assuring us that there was