FOREST-SCAVENGERS. 109 



ceed in so emptying it, as to leave it a mere deceptive 

 shell, on which if you step, to use the comparison of 

 Smeathman, "you might as well tread upon a cloud." 



We presume that, in the following description of a 

 scene in Brazil, we may understand the insects of which 

 we are now speaking, though the traveller calls them 

 "ants:" 



"A number of tall, prostrate trees were lying about, 

 upon which large columns of ants of all kinds moved 

 busily to and fro. In penetrating into the depths of the 

 primeval forest, one sees evidence at every step that these 

 minute creatures are the destroyers of the colossal trees, 

 whose strength braves all the attacks of storm and wind. 

 A striking instance is this of how small are often the 

 means which the Creator employs to produce the mightiest 

 results; for what greater disproportion can be imagined 

 than between an ant and one of these giants of the forest? 

 No sooner is a tree attacked by them than it is doomed ; 

 its size and strength are of no avail ; and frequently these 

 little insects will destroy it in such a manner that the 

 bark alone remains, and all the woody fibres crumble 

 away, until the tall tree falls at length to the ground with 

 a tremendous crash, a prey to the united and persevering 

 attacks of millions and millions of the ants. Besides 

 these proofs of the destructive power of these insects, the 

 forests along the Estrada exhibit evidence of their skill 

 in the pyramidical ant-hills, similar to those we had seen 

 on the coast of the province of Kio de Janeiro. We 

 also observed large trunks of trees pierced with deep 



