PESTS 225 



here and there with purple gleams of light, I gave a 

 wild shout of joy, that made the woods ring. 



The greatest pests in tropical countries are usually 

 flies of different kinds ; but where we were they were 

 not common, and mosquitoes were almost unknown. 

 Perhaps the worst pests in the island are the fleas : the 

 houses swarm with them, and it is almost impossible to 

 keep them out of one's blankets. We tried smoking 

 our blankets over a fire, putting camphor between 

 them, and sprinkling with red pepper and kerosene. 

 The latter method, although somewhat unpleasant for 

 us, proved the most effectual. 



While walking through the bushes, one frequently 

 comes across nests made of green leaves, and spun 

 together by webs. These are the homes of the green 

 ants, and if any of them get upon the neck or hands, 

 one will not soon forget them. They do not wait for 

 an introduction, but introduce themselves, with a sharp 

 nip. The bites do not hurt very badly at the time ; 

 but in a day or two they swell into lumps, remaining 

 very tender arid painful for several days. 



The land-leaches, too, are a great nuisance ; and if 

 wandering in the woods after rainy weather (a time 

 when they are most active), one is obliged to stop 

 every few minutes to remove them. 



They climb weeds and bushes beside the paths; and, 

 at the sound of an approaching footstep, they reach 

 out as far as their elastic bodies will permit, and attach 



