﻿244 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  R. 
  Wallace 
  on 
  Insects 
  used 
  for 
  Food. 
  

  

  means 
  so 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  Amazon 
  as 
  the 
  other 
  edible 
  insects 
  ; 
  and 
  

   in 
  fact, 
  I 
  never 
  saw 
  it 
  eaten, 
  or 
  ate 
  it 
  myself 
  but 
  once. 
  It 
  is 
  called 
  

   " 
  muxeiwa" 
  by 
  the 
  Indians. 
  

  

  The 
  Apterous 
  insect 
  which 
  is 
  eaten 
  by 
  tlie 
  South 
  American 
  

   Indians, 
  more 
  I 
  presume 
  as 
  a 
  delicacy 
  than 
  as 
  an 
  article 
  of 
  food, 
  

   is 
  a 
  species 
  of 
  Pediculus 
  which 
  inhabits 
  the 
  heads 
  of 
  that 
  variety 
  

   of 
  mankind, 
  and 
  is 
  probably 
  a 
  distinct 
  species 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  our 
  

   own 
  country. 
  The 
  method 
  of 
  capturing 
  and 
  devouring 
  this 
  insect 
  

   is 
  exactly 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  that 
  which 
  every 
  one 
  has 
  seen 
  adopted 
  by 
  

   the 
  monkeys 
  at 
  the 
  gardens 
  of 
  the 
  Zoological 
  Society. 
  A 
  couple 
  

   of 
  Indian 
  belles 
  will 
  often 
  devote 
  a 
  spare 
  half-hour 
  to 
  entomolo- 
  

   gical 
  researches 
  in 
  each 
  others' 
  glossy 
  tresses, 
  every 
  capture 
  being 
  

   immediately 
  transferred 
  with 
  much 
  gusto 
  to 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  

   operator. 
  

  

  The 
  remaining 
  annulose 
  animal 
  I 
  have 
  to 
  mention 
  is 
  a 
  singular 
  

   species 
  of 
  earth 
  worm. 
  It 
  has 
  the 
  body 
  flat 
  beneath, 
  and 
  the 
  

   rings 
  very 
  hispid. 
  It 
  inhabits 
  the 
  gapo, 
  or 
  flooded 
  lands, 
  in 
  the 
  

   dry 
  season 
  ; 
  and, 
  when 
  the 
  waters 
  rise, 
  it 
  ascends 
  the 
  trees 
  and 
  

   takes 
  refuge 
  in 
  the 
  hollow 
  leaves 
  of 
  the 
  T'dlandsias, 
  where 
  it 
  ac- 
  

   cumulates 
  in 
  great 
  numbers 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  singular 
  sight 
  to 
  see 
  an 
  

   Indian 
  fisherman 
  climb 
  up 
  a 
  tree 
  and 
  return 
  with 
  plenty 
  of 
  worms 
  

   for 
  bait. 
  In 
  every 
  house 
  these 
  Tillandsias 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  hanging, 
  

   the 
  leaves 
  carefully 
  tied 
  together 
  at 
  the 
  top 
  to 
  keep 
  the 
  worms 
  

   from 
  escaping 
  should 
  they 
  get 
  too 
  warm 
  or 
  dry. 
  When 
  more 
  are 
  

   obtained 
  than 
  are 
  wanted 
  for 
  bait 
  they 
  are 
  boiled 
  with 
  fish 
  ; 
  and, 
  

   though 
  they 
  look 
  very 
  disgusting 
  and 
  are 
  intensely 
  bitter, 
  they 
  

   are 
  a 
  favourite 
  food 
  with 
  most 
  Indians. 
  

  

  I 
  am 
  not 
  aware 
  of 
  any 
  other 
  insects 
  being 
  used 
  for 
  food 
  by 
  the 
  

   Indians 
  of 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  South 
  America 
  which 
  I 
  visited, 
  and 
  trust 
  

   that 
  this 
  short 
  notice 
  of 
  them 
  may 
  call 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  subject 
  in 
  

   other 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  world. 
  

  

  