FOREIGN-ANTS. 285 



of our necks and hair, IVom whence they were not 

 easily driven. Their sting was scarcely less painful 

 than that of a bee; but, except it was repeated, the 

 pain did not last more than a minute. 



" Another sort are quite blacit, and their operation, 

 and manner of life are not less extraordinary. Their 

 habitations are the inside of the branches of a tree 

 which they contrive to excavate, by working out the 

 pith almost to the extremity of the slenderest twig, 

 the tree at the same time flourisliing as if it had no 

 such inmate. When we first found the tree, we 

 gathered some of the branches; and were scarcely 

 !ess astonished than we should have been to find 

 that we had profaned a consecrated grove, where 

 every tree, upon being wounded, gave signs of life; 

 for we were instantly covered with legions of these 

 animals, swarming from every broken bough, and 

 inflicting their stings with incessant violence. 



^' A third kind we found nested in the root of a 

 plant, which grows on the bark of trees in tlie manner 

 of mistletoe, and which they had perforated for that 

 use. This root is commonly as big as a large turnip, 

 and sometimes much bigger. When we cut it, we 

 found it intersected by innumerable winding pas- 

 sages, all filled with these animals, by which, how- 

 ever, the vegetation of the plant did not appear to 

 have suffered any injury. We never cut one of these 

 roots that was not inhabited, though some were not 

 bigger than a hazel-nut. The animals themselves 

 are very small, not more tlian half as big as the 

 common red ant in England. They had stings, but 

 scarcely force enough to make them felt: they had, 

 however, a power of tormenting us in an equal, if 

 not in a greater degree; for the moment we"^ handled 

 the root, they swarmed from innumerable holes, and 

 running about those parts of the body that were un- 



