xvi CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE CHIEF NUTRITIVE PLANTS OF THE TROPICAL WORLD. 



Rice. Aspects of Rice-Fields at Different Seasons. The Rice-Fields of Ceylon. Ladang 

 and Sawa Rice. Rice in South Carolina. The Rice-Bird. Paddy. Maize. When first 

 brought to Europe. Appearance of the Plant. Its Enormous Productiveness. Freedom 

 from Disease. Wide Extent of its Cultivation. Benjamin Franklin's Account of Maize. 

 Millet. The Bread-Fruit. Its Taste. Modes of Cooking. The Banana and Plantain. 

 Their Great Productiveness. The Sago Palm. Manufacture of Sago. Sago Bread. 

 Cheap Living. A Siesta and Starvation. The Cassava. Yams. The Sweet Potato. 

 Arrow Root. The Taro Root, Tropical Fruits. The Chirimoya. The Litchi. The 

 Mangosteen. The Mango. The Durion. Its Taste and Smell. Large Fruit on Tall 

 Trees, Page 545 



CHAPTER VII. 



SUGAR COFFEE CHOCOLATE COCA SPICES. 



Sugar: Its Importance. The Home of the Sugar-Cane. Ancient Theories about Sugar. The 

 Introduction of the Cane into Europe and America. Characteristics of the Plant. Mode of 

 Cultivation. Coffee: Its Home. Introduction into Egypt and Europe, and elsewhere. 

 Present Coffee Countries. : Coffee Culture in Brazil.. Agassiz's Description of a Coffee 

 Estate. The West Indies and Ceylon. The Coffee-Plant. Methods of Preparing the 

 Berries. The Enemies of the Plant. The Golunda. The Coffee Bug. The Coffee Moth. 

 Cacao, or Chocolate: Its Culture and Preparation. Coca: Description of the Plant. Mode 

 of its Use. Its Effects. Indian superstitions connected with it. Cinnamon: Known to the 

 Ancients. Cinnamon in Ceylon. Mode of Culture and Preparation. General Account 

 of this Spice. Nutmegs and Cloves. Enormities of the Dutch Monopoly. Pepper. 

 Pimento. Ginger, 559 



CHAPTER VIII. 



INSECTS. 



Multitude of Tropical Insects. Beetles. Dragon Flies. Leaf Moths. The Leaf Butterfly. 

 Fire Flies. Insect Plagues: Mosquitoes. Chigoes, or Jiggers. The Filaria Medinensis. 

 The Bete Rouge. Ticks. Land-Leeches. The Tsetse Fly. The Tsalt-Salya Locusts. 

 Cockroaches. Enemies of the Cockroach. Useful Insects: The Silk- Worm. The Cochineal 

 Insect. The Gum-Lac Insect. Edible and Ornamental Beetles, 581 



CHAPTER IX. 



ANTS TERMITES ANT-EATERS SPIDERS SCORPIONS. 



Ants: Vast Numbers of Ants in the Tropical World. Pain caused by their Bites. The Ponera 

 Clavata. The Black Fire-Ant. The Dimiya of Ceylon. The Red Ant of Angola. The 

 Vivagua of the West Indies. The Umbrella Ant. Household Plagues. Troubles of Natu- 

 ralists. The Ranger Ants. The Bashikouay of Western Africa. House-Building Ants. 

 Slaveholding Ants. Aphides, or Plant-Lice. Insect Cow-Keepers. Termites: Their 

 Ravages among Books and Furniture. Their Citadels. Domestic Economy. Defensive 

 Warfare. American Termites. The Enemies of the Termites. How to Catch, Cook, and 

 Eat them. The Marching Termite. Ant-Eaters ; The Great Ant-Bear. His Mode of 

 Hunting. Mode of Defense. Anatomical Structure. Lesser Ant-Bears. Manides and 

 Pangolins. The Aard-Vark. Armadillos. The Porcupine Ant-Eater. Spiders; Their 

 Physical Structure. Their Webs. Means of Protection. Mode of Catching their Prey. 

 Maternal Instinct. Their Enemies. Uses of Spiders. Scorpions; Their Aspects and 

 Habits. Their Venom, 594 



CHAPTER X. 



SERPENTS LIZARDS FROGS AND TOADS. 



Serpents: Rarity of Venomous Serpents. Habits and External Characteristics of Serpents. 

 The Labarri. The Trigonocephalus. Antidotes to the Poison of Serpents. Sucking out 



