292 



THE LOWER AMAZONS. 



Chap. VII. 



and fine claws connected with the tips of the member 

 by means of a flexible pedicle. When they mount to 

 the summits of slender blades of grass, or the tips of 



leaves, they hold 

 on by their fore 

 legs only, the 

 other three pairs 

 being stretched 

 out so as to fas- 

 ten on any ani- 

 mal which comes in their 

 way. The smaller of the 

 two species is of a yellowish 

 colour ; it is much the most 

 abundant, and sometimes 

 falls upon one by scores. 

 When distended it is about 

 the size of a No. 8 shot ; the 

 arger kind, which fortu- 

 nately comes only singly to 

 the work, swells to the size 

 of a pea. 



In some parts of the in- 

 terior the soil is composed 

 of very coarse sand and 

 small angular fragments of 

 quartz ; in these places no 

 trees grow. I visited, in 

 ^ MM> /vlLi-^-'^'»-" '^il' company with Padre Tor- 

 ^'^tfC< , V ' ' quato, one of these tree- 



Peuririma Palm (Bactris). IcSS SpaCOS Or CaUipOS, aS 



