156 RUBBER PLANTING ON THE 



us warmly. The tame macaw, the little green parroquette, Lora the 

 parrot, and even Bola, the big yellow tomcat, vied with the dogs in an 

 enthusiastic ovation. Things seemed to be about as we had left them, 

 and except for the fact that my black shoes had gathered a fur of green 

 mold, and one of them was occupied by an enormous spider, I was 

 perfectly content. Speaking of spiders, there are many of them, but 

 they are the least of the insect troubles. If left alone, they are harmless 

 and not much in evidence, but the rodador, the pinolco, the chaqnista! 

 they are looking for trouble. The rodador is like the black fly of the North 

 American woods. It is in some places most abundant, and its bite raises 

 an itching lump that lasts several days. After a little, however, one 

 becomes inoculated with rodador virus, and the only result is a small 

 black spot that scales off without any itching or burning. They trouble 

 some newcomers exceedingly, but I found them only a slight discomfort, 

 not important enough to take any special precaution to mitigate. 



Among the insects that are most easily domesticated, and that 

 attach themselves with instant affection to the passing traveler, I should 

 name the pinoleo, the conchudo, and the garrapata. They are all related, 

 and are of the tick family. The pinole o has a habit of associating with 

 himself several millions of others, each one the size of a pin point, and 

 hanging on a leaf or twig over a trail where animals or men are accus- 

 tomed to pass. When the branch is touched, they instantly catch on to 

 whatever touches it, and proceed to distribute themselves over the body 

 and seek for tender spots w r hereupon to feast. I had a most abundant 

 and energetic collection of pinoleos on several occasions, but got rid 

 of them without much trouble. 



The conchudo is simply a pinole o that has not been blotted out early 

 in life, and who grows into a fairly sizeable tick. He does not burrow 

 into the flesh, but simply hangs on, and grows fat off the animal of his 

 adoption. The garrapata is the pinoleo grown to maturity, and is a good 

 large ablebodied tick that fastens himself upon his victim, and is very 

 reluctant to let go. Another little pest that troubles some people is the 

 chaquiste, a fly so minute that one can hardly see him, and that hides 

 itself in the hair of the head, its bite being like the sting of an electric 

 needle. 



There are, of course, mosquitoes, although personally I was troubled 

 very little by them during the whole of my trip, and ordinary fleas are to 

 be found in the towns and cities from one end of the country to the other. 

 The insect that I most dreaded, however, and which was described to 

 me by many of the old time residents, was the moyaquil. This is a grub 



