Vd'2 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



than a dissertation on the prejudices of mankind. One 

 of the most extraordinary faculties possessed by many 

 insects is that power of locating and arriving at the object 

 of their desires from very great distances. It is difficult 

 for us to form any correct conception of such a power, 

 considering how defective are our senses in this respect. 

 The entomologist takes advantage of this instinct — the 

 word instinct being applied to those attributes of animal 

 life superior to our own qualification in some particular 

 direction and consequently beyond our understanding — to 

 capture the males of certain Bomhyces, chiefly Kentish 

 Glories and Emperor Moths. A virgin female, when 

 ' calling,' that is, slightly convulsed with tremor, is placed 

 in a small cage made of two little hoops tied crosswise 

 and covered with gauze. This the entomologist carries 

 about with him. If there be any males of the same 

 species in his vicinity he is pretty certain to capture them, 

 for they will crawl into his pocket should he have placed 

 the caged female there. I have referred to this extra- 

 ordinary faculty certain moths are endowed with, because 

 the beetle ' which produces the palm-grub is also gifted 

 in a similar fashion. No sooner is a palm-tree cut down 

 than the beetles find it out and lay their eggs in the juicy 

 pith which serves as food for their larvae. Incisions are 

 made in the trunk of the palm so as to expose the pith 

 and thus facilitate the work of the beetle. At the end of 

 about a fortnight the larva? have been hatched and the 

 grubs are fit for eating. They are removed and placed in 

 vessels with water, where they will live for a couple of days. 

 They are prepared by being fried or roasted on a skewer. 

 Should the grubs be allowed to remain for three weeks in 

 the palm-tree they assume the third stage, that of the 

 ' Bi/nchophora palmarum. 



