.8^. DEATH IN THE FOREST. 535 



remains but the heart-wood, which is very hard, and may last for an 

 indefinite period at the bottom of the stream, as wood-ants and other 

 destructive agencies are unable to finish the work of destruction under 

 such conditions. Some of the tidal creeks are so choked with these 

 tacoobas as to be impassable at low water, while in others great care 

 is required. With a stream like a mill-race, the bateau runs a risk of 

 being bored at any turning, while every few minutes it bumps and 

 grazes the sunken logs. Sometimes large trees float down the river 

 and are carried out to sea. 



The forest trees of Guiana seem to have lost the power of 

 shooting up afresh from the roots when injured. It is true, as 

 mentioned above, that a tree rarely breaks off or is torn up by the 

 roots until it is actually dead. Storms are rare, and tornadoes 

 unknown, but it sometimes happens that one of the tallest is struck 

 by lightning. Again, the fall of every rotting trunk kills or seriously 

 injures everything that stands in its way. Great limbs are torn off, 

 leaving unsightly gashes, which sometimes heal, but as often fester, 

 ultimately producing holes which continually grow larger as water 

 finds its way into them. When once the outer bark and sap-wood is 

 seriously injured, beetle larvae and wood-ants soon carry on their 

 work of destruction, and death must ultimately ensue. At first sight 

 it would appear as if when the tree is in the embrace of the strangler, 

 or bleeding to death under the thousand suckers of the loranth, it 

 would shoot up from below and try to recover its position, but such 

 is not the case. The tree has had to fight its way upward for ages, 

 and all its powers are concentrated for this purpose. 



The natural vegetation of a country is well fitted to cope with 

 all the difficulties of its environment. Parasites have been developing 

 their powers for ages, but never succeed in making any serious 

 inroad on the forest. As the enemy increases in strength and 

 malignity, its victim gains more power of resistance. With plants 

 from other countries, however, it is different. Taken from their 

 particular environment to another, against dangers of which they 

 have no protection, they suffer greatly. East Indian fruit trees, 

 notably the Mango, are often diseased, while ornamental shrubs are 

 as frequently infested by loranths. Rarely is a forest tree killed by 

 umbrella-ants, but almost every imported plant is destroyed 

 by them. Some districts in Guiana are so infested by these 

 leaf-cutters, that cultivation is impossible. In early times 

 we read of plantations being abandoned on that account. 

 It was useless to attempt any cultivation, since myriads of 

 these little creatures carried away the young leaves as fast as 

 they grew. Butterfly larvae are equally destructive to foreigners. 

 In a day or two, a fiddle-wood tree (Citharexylon) will be 

 stripped perfectly clean by swarms of these voracious creatures. 

 Rarely does the tree recover from such an attack, although it some- 

 times succeeds in doing so. The sudden defoliation of a whole tree 



