ANT MOUNDS — THE IGUANA. 221 



had caused these gay flowers to flourish here, and 

 truly, as the poet says, 



"To waste their sweetness on the desert air." 



On our way down, we continually passed little 

 mounds, shaped like beehives, and constructed of 

 dried grass and sand, arranged to a nicety. At first 

 I was at a loss to tell the true character of these 

 nests ; but, on knocking the top oft" of one of them 

 with my stick, I saw myriads of ants — it being a 

 granary for these insects. On being disturbed, they 

 rushed hither and thither in search of the violator of 

 their domicile, and on discovering him, they ran up 

 his clothing, and bestowed no very gentle bites upon 

 his legs and body. They are much larger than our 

 ants; and, unlike ours, instead of excavating a place 

 of retreat, they build it upon the surface of the 

 earth. 



We also saw and destroyed (without knowing what 

 we were killing) several iguanas — little creatures of 

 the lizard species, that abound here in great numbers. 

 They are said to be a fierce enemy of the serpent 

 tribe, and to engage in long and severe contests with 

 his snakeship, and always gain the victory — running, 

 when bitten by him, to a certain herb that acts as a 

 specific. "When we were at Hobartown, I was told 

 of a man, named Underwood, who possessed a sure 

 and speedy antidote for the bite of any snake. The 

 government had offered him a large price for his 

 secret, but he refused to divulge it on any terms. 

 He was a convict of the lowest grade, and repre- 

 sented that he first discovered the antidote bv ob- 

 serving the iguana running to, and eating it, after 

 19* 



