the seeds fall, are turned to meet the air
at an angle of 45 deg.; and thus a rotatory motion is produced, and the
falling seeds turn round and round like little fly-wheels. It is
altogether a curious sight when a large volador is shaken in calm
weather, to see the hundreds of seeds whirling and wheeling towards the
ground, which they take a considerable time in reaching. The 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 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 cl