The present finding confirms, chemically, the use of Virola extracts or resin in the preparation of dart poisons as reported the first time by Biocca, and later by Schultes and Holmstedt, who witnessed the preparation of poisoned darts from Virola. The use of this plant for hunting purposes can be explained by the fact that N,N-dimethyl-5-methoxytryptamine displays much higher behavioral disturbances than other indolealkylamines (dose level = 0.05 mM/kg). This property, better than the toxicity, which is comparatively low [LD 50 = 0.5 mM/kg) accounts for the catch of the prey. This indicates a particular hunting procedure worthy of adequate ethnographic investigation.