fWrSfJU 



716 NIEUHOFP'S BRAZIL. 



of a thumb ; they are of an afh colour. Inclining to white ; the body and fimbs thick, 

 and fwelled with the poifon, but the tail fhort and broad. The wounds given by them 

 are full of a thin llinking matter, with blue fwellings, with a pain near the heart, and 

 in the bowels. 



There are alfo certain creatures, called Thoufand Legs, as likewife Hundred Legs, 

 by the natives called Ambua, who bend as they crawl along, and are accounted very 

 poifonous. The firft are commonly found in the houfes, and the laft among the woods, 

 where they not only fpoil the fruits of the earth, but alfo plague men and beafts. 



Scorpions, by the Brazilians called Jaaciaiira, are found here in great numbers, 

 being in fhape like the European fcorpions, but not fo peftiferous, and confequently 

 the wounds given by them are eafily cured. They lurk in houfes, behind old 

 ftools, benches, and chefts. They are exceeding big, no bigger being to be found in. 

 any other parts, fome being five or fix foot long, and of a confiderable thicknefs. 



There are fuch prodigious quantities of pifmires in Brazil, that for this reafon they 

 are called by the Portuguefe Rey de Brazil, i. e. King of Brazil. They eat all that 

 lights in their way, as fruit, flefh, filh, and infeds, without any harm. There is alfo 

 a certain flying pifmire, of a finger's length, with a triangular head, the body being 

 feparated into two parts, and faftened together by a fmall firing. On the head are 

 two fmall and long horns, their eyes being very fmall. On the foremoft part of the 

 body are fix legs, three joints each, and four thin and tranfparent wings ; to wit, two 

 without, and two within ; the hindermoft part is of a bYight brown colour, and round, 

 which is eaten by the negroes. They dig into the ground like the moles, and 

 confume the feed. 



There is another kind of ^reat pifmires, refembling a great fly ; the whole body of 

 which is about the length of half a finger, and feparated into three feveral parts. The 

 laft part refembling in fhape and bignefs a barley-corn ; the middlemoft of an oblong 

 figure, with fix legs, half a finger long, each of which has four joints : the foremoft 

 part, or the head, is pretty thick, in the fhape of a heart, with two horns, and as 

 many black crooked teeth : the white of the eyes is inclining to black, the whole 

 compofition of ■ the head being the two eyes, placed oppofite to one another, refem- 

 bling the figure of a heart. The fore and hindermoft parts ai"e of a bright red 

 colour. 



There Is another kind of pifmire, of a briglit black colour, with black and rough 

 legs. It is about the length of a finger, with a large four-fquare head, ftarting black 

 eyes and teeth, and two horns, half a finger longer. The body is alfo feparated into 

 three parts. The foremoft of an oblong figure, not very thick, with fix legs, each 

 of the length of half a finger ; the middlemoft very fmall and fquare, not exceeding 

 the bignefs of a loufe ; the hindermoft is the biggeft of the three, of an oval figure, and 

 fharp on the end. Thefe three parts are faftened together with a,fingle ftring, the Bra- 

 zilians call it Tapijai. 



There is befides this another pifmire, called by the Brazilians Kupia, of a chefnut 

 brov/n colour ; its head being as big as another pifmire, with black eyes, two horns, 

 and two tufks inftead of teeth. The v/hole body is covered with hair ; it is divided 

 into two parts ; the foremoft with fix legs, being fomewhat lefs than the hindermoft ; 

 at certain feafons it gets four wings, the foremoft being a little bigger than the hinder- 

 moft, Hvhich it lofes again at a certain time. 



The Iron Pig of Brazil, called by the Brazilians Kuandu, and by the Portuguefe 

 Ourico Kachiero, is of the bignefs of a large ape, its whole body being covered with 

 Iharp fpikes of three or four fingers long, without any hair. Towards the body thofe 



fpikes 



