volador is not confined to South America, I have seen it
in Mexico, and other parts of North America.

Another singular tree noticed was a tree of the barberry family
(_berberis_), known among the Spanish-Americans as _barba de tigre_, or
"tiger's beard." This name it derives from the fact of its trunk--which
is very large and high--being thickly set all over with sharp, branching
thorns, that are fancied to resemble the whiskers of the jaguar, or
South American "tiger."

A third remarkable tree (or bush) observed was the _Bixa orellana_,
which yields the well-known _arnatto_ dye. This bush is ten or twelve
feet in height, and its seeds grow in a burr-like pericarp. These seeds
are covered with a reddish pulp, which produces the dye. The mode of
making it is simple. The Indian women throw the seeds into a vessel of
hot water, and stir them violently for about an hour, until they have
taken off the pulp. The water is then poured off, and the deposit,
separated from the seeds, is mixed with oil of turtle-eggs, or crocodile
fat, and kneaded into cakes of three or four ounces weight. It is then
"anoto," sometimes written "arnatto," sometimes "arnotto," sometimes
"onoto," and sometimes "anato." The first is the proper spelling. In
Brazil it is called "urucu," whence the French name "rocou;" and the
Peruvians have still another designation for it, "achote." Of course
each tribe of Indians calls it by a separate name. The botanic name,
_Bixa_, is the ancient name by which it was known to the Indians of
Hayti, for it is found in most parts of tropical America growing wild,
although it is also cultivated. It is an article in great demand among
all the Indians of South America, who use it for painting their bodies,
and dyeing the cotton cloth of which they make their garments.

But these people are very skilful in drawing pigments from plants and
trees of many kinds; in fact, their practical chemistry, so far as it
relates to dyes and poisons, is quite surprising, and from time to time
Guapo pointed out trees that were used by them for such purposes.

One was a climbing plant, whose tendrils reached to the tops of the
highest trees. It had beautiful violet-coloured flowers, an inch long,
and Don Pablo saw that it was a species of _bignonia_. Guapo called it
"chica." When in fruit it carries a pod two feet in length, full of
winged seeds. But Guapo said it was not from the seeds that the dye was
obtained, but f