274 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 



ments in the trees that attracted my attention and 

 made me look up anxiously, expecting monkeys. 



A little carthiola was building its nest ; he was 

 actively at work and had nearly finished it, and was 

 tearing strips from the dead and dry balisier with 

 which to line it. It defended its nest with great spirit, 

 and attacked any bird coming near. Now and then it 

 robbed another nearly completed nest of material, 

 making a squabble with its owner. 



By an intolerable itching, which no amount of 

 scratching could allay, I became aware that my legs 

 were covered with that insect pest of the tropics, the 

 bete rouge — an insect so small as to be scarcely visible 

 to the naked eye, the bites of which cause great suf- 

 fering. In the rainy season, especially, is this insect 

 annoying; then one cannot walk in the grass without 

 getting covered with it. It sometimes causes sores or 

 ulcers, the result of scratching, and the only remedy 

 is to cover the body with grease or oil. So intense 

 became the pain that I could no longer remain quiet, 

 and was dancing a frantic jig when my little darky 

 pulled my coat and pointed to the cliff. 



The vines hancrincp from the limbs of the great tree 



So o 



were shaking, and a low murmur of many monkey 

 voices announced the coming of the troop. A round 

 head peeped forth from the leaves, a hairy face, that 

 was directly withdrawn, and its place supplied by 

 another, older apparently, and having a look on 

 its wrinkled visage of preternatural wisdom. This 

 wrinkled face was followed by a grisly body, and 

 soon an immense old fellow was clinging to the lianas 

 and swincrino- himself downward. He was followed 



O O 



by a score or more of -others, tumbling promiscuously 



