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NATURE 



[Feb. 19, 1880 



Kitts (in the wild state) dates from about ten years previous to 

 the visit of Labat, in 1700 — so that they have been denizens of 

 the island close upon two centuries now. The manner of their 

 introduction may not even have been known to the English 

 settlers of the colony. 



It was on this occasion, the good Father informs us, that he 

 first ate monkey. "It is true," he says, "I was a good deal 

 shocked when I saw four heads in the soup, very much resembling 

 infants' heads, but when I tasted of the dish I had no difficulty 

 in overcoming my scruples, and continued to eat with pleasure," 

 for, he adds, "C'est une chaire tendre, delicate, blanche, pleine 

 d'un bon sue, & qui est egalement bonne a quelque sorte de 

 sance qu'on la mette." 



The worthy Father feelingly dwells upon the admirable 

 qualities of young monkeys in the form of soup or otherwise. 

 The people of St. Christopher and Nevis might benefit by the 

 experience and example of good Father Labat. Why not try 

 young monkey as an article of diet generally ? The planters 

 would thus receive some compensation for the destruction of 

 their canes and provisions by this pestilent mammal. 



Trinidad, in a natural history point of view, may be considered 

 more as a portion of South America than as belonging to the 

 West India Islands proper. The two kinds of monkeys found 

 in Trinidad are, I believe, met with in the opposite mainland. 

 There is, therefore, no mystery as regards their existence in that 

 L-land. The same remark applies to Nevis with respect to St. 

 Christopher. 



An example of almost exactly the same nature as that above 

 related regarding the monkeys of St. Christopher has taken place 

 in Dominica within the last half-century, and in like manner 

 might pass out of remembrance unless placed on record. 



About forty years ago a planter of this island visited his friends 

 in Martinique : in returning from thence he brought with him 

 two opossums, male and female. Shortly after they unfortunately 

 escaped from their cage, and made their way into the woods. 

 This was the current belief at the time and afterwards. The 

 fact, however, is certain of the importation of the animal about 

 that period. Their numbers increased rapidly, and not many years 

 had passed when one of the results of their presence in the forests 

 was the disappearance of the large frog, or crapaud, of the island, 

 upon which the Mauiare (as called by our people) preyed. The 

 southern district of the island, where the pair escaped, was first 

 nearly cleared of crapauds ; but as the opossums multiplied they 

 gradually extended over the whole island, with the exception of 

 a part of the northern district, and as they spread, the frogs for 

 most part were destroyed, and it was feared might be finally 

 ■exterminated ; but lately it would seem that their numbers have 

 somewhat increased, and the opossums are probably not so 

 numerous. 



Fortunately our peasantry eat the opossum with great satisfac- 

 tion, and set traps in the woods to catch them and hunt them on 

 all occasions. 



The large frog, or crapaud, of this island, Cystignothus oul- 

 attts, I believe, is a part of the dietary of the people of all 

 classes in the colony. It is very wholesome and much relished. 

 Its extensive destruction by the mischievous opossum has been a 

 great evil to the country, but its extermination would be a serious 

 loss. Happily, however, it appears to be gaining ground of late^ 

 though it can never abound as formerly while the " Manicere " 

 exists in our woods. John Imray 



Dominica, January 10 



Intellect in Brutes 



I SEND the following notes on the habits of the red or agri- 

 cultural and the small black ant, which may be of interest to the 

 readers of NATURE : — 



I have been stationed for several years where the red or agri- 

 cultural as well as the small black ant are common, and have 

 observed with much interest their habits. The burrows of the 

 red ant are said to be very deep, always extending to water, and 

 it is stated that one has been followed for a depth of twenty 

 feet. 



I have never seen any evidences of the sowing of seeds, but 

 have frequently seen them carrying leaves of grasses and grass- 

 seeds into their burrows. 



The mounds are usually from two to three feet in diameter at 

 base and one foot in height, are made of gravel, and frequently 

 ornamented with bits of crockery, beads, or pins, as opportunity 

 may offer. The warriors are very bold, attacking anything which 



may trespass upon their grounds ; I have often placed a centi- 

 pede or scorpion upon the mound, and observed them attack 

 and destroy it. 



The fighting is all done by the warriors, who, on being called 

 upon by the sentries, sally out in great numbers, and rush to the 

 attack ; some seize and hold the victim, while others attack it 

 on every side ; as soon as it ceases struggling, the warriors 

 return to their burrows, leaving to the workers -the labour .of 

 cutting up and carrying in. 



Hospital-Steward Smith, U.S. Army, states that in Arizona 

 and Idaho he has observed that these ants render much service 

 by . freeing houses of that insect pest so common in warm 

 climates, Cimex Icdulatius. 



One day last autumn, while halting for lunch on the banks of 

 the Cinnamon River, I.T., a forager belonging to a party of 

 black ants was observed to discover some sugar which had been 

 dropped upon the ground ; the ant immediately ran off, and soon 

 returned, followed by a long line of its fellows. The first to arrive 

 did not carry away any of the treasure, but seemed to resolve 

 themselves into guides for the approaching column ; they ran 

 back upon the trail, and every now and then an ant in the 

 advancing column seeming to be in doubt as to the correctness 

 of its course, would run out of the line and approaching a guide, 

 would confer a moment with him, then, reassured, would hasten 

 back to the line and continue on its course. 



Post Hospital, U.S. Army, T. E. Wilcox 



Boise Barracks, Idaho Terr., Dec. 23, 1879 



Stags' Horns 



A few weeks ago I was staying with a friend in Sussex, in 

 whose park are about sixty red deer, and upon my asking him 

 whether he had ever picked up any cast-off antlers, he replied 

 that he had not only picked up some that were gnawed, but had 

 actually himself seen them gnawing them. He has promised to 

 send me some specimens after this year's shedding. 



G. J. R. 



THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN DOMINICA 



ON Sunday, January 4, shortly after eleven o'clock in 

 the morning, a volcanic eruption occurred in the 

 Grande Soufriere district of Dominica. This district is 

 situated near to the centre of the southern third of the 

 island ; and before the late eruption its volcanic energy 

 was manifested by the action of four solfataras and by the 

 Boiling Lake. During the morning of January 4, the 

 weather in the town of Roseau— the capital of the island, 

 was cool and showery ; but shortly before eleven o'clock 

 the sky became overcast and heavy rain began to fall, 

 accompanied with thunder and lightning. Soon afterwards 

 the sky darkened, the rain poured in torrents ; a powerful 

 odour of sulphuretted hydrogen pervaded the atmosphere ; 

 the lightning increased in vividness ; and thunder of a 

 peculiar sound, and without the usual reverberation, 

 crashed for several minutes with intermissions of so short a 

 duration as to be scarcely recognisable. After the lapse 

 of about five minutes the darkness began to lift, and it 

 was then seen that the rain was bringing down volcanic 

 ash of a light greyish colour and metallic lustre. The 

 ash fell for about nine minutes, covering the ground to 

 the extent of a quarter of an inch, and during the time 

 everything had a dull leaden aspect, whilst the mud 

 rolled off the houses and the leaves of the trees like big- 

 globules of partially oxidised mercury. During the time 

 the ash was falling I noted that the barometer indicated a 

 pressure of 3010 inches, and a few hours afterwards the 

 mercury fell to 29-96 inches. The Roseau River, which 

 rises near to the volcanic district, became a raging 

 torrent, flooding the land through which it passed and 

 creating great destruction ; its water became of an opaque 

 white colour, and even now, more than three weeks after 

 the eruption, the white colour remains, though in a lesser 

 degree. It is worthy of notice that the greater body of 

 water came from the vicinity of the eruption, for the 





