go The Naturalist in Nicaragua 
the great majority issue from their hiding-places only in the 
night-time, and during the day lie concealed in withered 
leaves, beneath fallen’ logs, under bark, and in crevices 
amongst the moss growing on the trunks of trees, or even 
against the bare trunk, protected from observation by their 
mottled brown, grey, and greenish tints—assimilating in 
colour and appearance to the bark of the tree. Up and 
down the fallen timber would stalk gigantic black ants, one 
inch in length, provided with most formidable stings, and 
disdaining to run away from danger. They are slow and 
stately in their movements, seeming to prey solely on the 
slow-moving wood-borers, which they take at a great dis- 
advantage when half buried in their burrows, and bear off 
in their great jaws. They appear to use their sting only as 
a defensive weapon; but other smaller species that hunt 
singly, and are very agile, use their stings to paralyse their 
prey. I once saw one of these on the banks of the Artigua 
chasing a wood-louse (Onzscus), very like our common 
English species, on a nearly perpendicular slope. ‘The wood- 
louse, when the ant got near it, made convulsive springs, 
throwing itself down the slope, whilst the ant followed, 
coursing from side to side, and examining the ground with 
its vibrating antenne. The actions of the wood-louse 
resembled that of the hunted hare trying to throw the dog 
off its scent, and the ant was like the dog in its movements 
to recover the trail. At last the wood-louse reached the 
bottom of the slope, and concealed itself amongst some 
leaves; but the ant soon discovered it, paralysed it with 
a sting, and was running away with it, turned back down- 
wards, beneath itself, when I secured the hunter for my 
collection. Ail these ants that hunt singly have the eyes 
well developed, and thus differ greatly from the LEczions, 
or army ants. 
The road, continuing down the Artigua, crosses it again, 
winds away from it, then comes to it again, a* a beautiful 
rocky spot overhung by trees; the banks covered with plants 
and shrubs, and the rocks with a great variety of ferns, 
whilst a babbling, clear brook comes down from the ranges 
to the right. Some damp spots near the river are covered 
with a carpet of a beautiful variegated, velvety-leaved plant 
(Cyrtodetra chontalensis) with a flower like an achimenes, 
