In the Bush with a Camera. 259 



made several new mental pictures of forest life and 

 colle6led a number of orchids and ferns. While up 

 the creek we had .gathered a very fine plant of Cory- 

 anthes speciosa, and the amouut of discomfort that plant 

 gave us can scarcely be conceived. It is hardly neces- 

 sary to mention that this is one of the plants pro- 

 tefted by carnivorous ants, for which its roots provide 

 shelter. After chopping it down and removing the 

 cluster of twigs which formed a bush round it the 

 whole was plunged into the creek below our bateau 

 and pushed under with a paddle. By this soaking myriads 

 of the inse6ls were dislodged, but as we found later by 

 no means all. At last however it was taken in and 

 put down near the bowman. Our craft was small and 

 what might be generally considered " cranky," so when 

 presently Mr. Bowman began to squirm and shake him- 

 self we called out rather peevishly, " What is the matter 

 now ?" It did not take long to explain as the little 

 pests could be seen crawling over his neck and face. 

 Then our other companions began to scratch and pinch 

 their clothes as the ants gave them now a nip here and 

 another there until all were more or less uncomfortable. 

 They had a nasty way of getting into the hair and beard 

 which we found particularly aggravating, and what made 

 the matter so much worse was the fa6l that we hardly 

 dared to move for fear of upsetting our bateau. Then 

 our craft was loaded with a heap of plants which stood 

 in the way of stretching out our legs and kept us con- 

 tinually in fear that the boatmen would crush some of 

 them. However, we got back to town at last, very tired 

 and quite ready to appreciate home comforts, which were 

 all the more agreeable for even such a short deprivation. 



