SOUTH AMERICA. 189 



longitudinally on the branch of a tree, not cross- THIRD 



1-1 II T JOURNEY. 



mse, like all other birds. 



The Wasps, or Maribuntas, are great plagues The wasps, 



,1 r* -i orMaribun- 



m these forests, and require the naturalist to be tas. 

 cautious as he wanders up and down. Some 

 make their nests pendent from the branches; 

 others have them fixed to the underside of a leaf. 

 Now, in passing on, if you happen to disturb one 

 of these, they sally forth and punish you severely. 

 The largest kind is blue ; it brings blood where 

 its sting enters, and causes pain and inflamma- 

 tion enough to create a fever. The Indians make 

 a fire under the nest, and after killing, or driving 

 away the old ones, they roast the young grubs in 

 the comb and eat them. I tried them once by 

 way of desert after dinner, but my stomach was 

 offended at their intrusion ; probably it was more 

 the idea than the taste that caused the stomach 

 to rebel. 



Time and experience have convinced me that Snakes and 



wild beasts. 



there is not much danger in roving amongst 

 snakes and wild beasts, provided only that you 

 have self-command. You must never approach 

 them abruptly ; if so, you are sure to pay for your 

 rashness ; because the idea of self-defence is pre- 

 dominant in every animal, and thus the snake, to 

 defend himself from what he considers an attack 

 upon him, makes the intruder feel the deadly 

 effect of his poisonous fangs. The jaguar flies at 

 you, and knocks you senseless with a stroke of 



