Augusto Ruschi, 70; Brazilian Naturalist

Augusto Ruschi, an internationally known Brazilian specialist in hummingbirds and orchids who was treated by Indians from the Amazon jungle earlier this year after he had been poisoned by tree toads, died Tuesday.

In January, Ruschi, 70, was near death, and he was treated by Chief Raoni and a tribal doctor of the Amazonic Txucarramae Indians. Ruschi said the Indians, who blew smoke on his body and massaged his stomach, had removed the poisons of tree toads that Ruschi had handled during his jungle explorations.

President Jose Sarney sponsored the trip of the Indian shamans from the jungle, and all Brazil watched the treatments of the naturalist by the Indians on television for more than a week.

Ruschi showed signs of improvement, and after several months, was able to resume his work on an illustrated edition of Brazilian birds. He finished two volumes on hummingbirds, before he was hospitalized in critical condition last week. He died of internal hemorrhages at the Sao Jose Hospital in Vitoria, Espiritu Santo state.