80 Vanden Heuvel on the Honey Bees of Guiana^ ^c. 



of the river Essequibo. His assiduous and persevering ex- 

 ertions have brought to light sufficient data to convey an 

 idea of the extensive and most interesting treasures of Nat- 

 ural History, which are contained in that unexplored re- 

 gion. The department to w^hich he has chiefly devoted 

 himself, is that of Entomology, and the abundance and di- 

 versity of the various tribes of insects, as disclosed by him, 

 among which is a vast number heretofore unknown, cannot 

 be viewed but with mingled dehght and astonishment.— 

 Among the varieties collected by him, I was particulary 

 struck with the number and beautiful diversity of the order 

 of bees ; and presuming that of a country so little known^ 

 any information would be gratifying to Naturalists of the 

 United States, I obtained from him a preparation of the spe- 

 cies in his possession, and which I have now the pleasure to 

 present to your highly respectable institution. The num- 

 ber of bees contained in the collection is twenty, but half of 

 the whole number (as Dr. Schmidt informed me) which he 

 had indicated. I regret that no nomenclature attends them, 

 as in consequence of his discoveries not being completed, 

 he had not yet bestowed ''his attention to that subject. It 

 may be gratifying. Sir, however to you and others, to learn 

 the names given to these various species by the Aborigines 

 of the country, not only as furnishing means for a systematic 

 discrimination, but also as corroborating the statement of 

 Dr. Schmidt, of the honey-producing property of all these 

 varieties. This information 1 have derived from an indi- 

 vidual who was for many years a constant resident among 

 the savage tribes, and qualified both by education and an in- 

 quisitive turn, to notice and preserve by written memorials, 

 whatever important facts came to his knowledge. He took 

 up his abode chiefly among the celebrated nation of Arro- 

 wauks, who, distinguished above all the tribes for their 

 mildness and benevolence of disposition, are also pre-emi- 

 nent among them as minute observers of all the productions 

 of nature. Being the original proprietors of the whole coast 

 of Guiana, though subsequently dispossessed of a portion of 

 it by the ferocious Charibs ; all the rivers and creeks, the 

 intervening territories and prominent positions; all the yari- 

 eties of animal and vegetable life bear to this day their own 

 appellations. Like other savages, they are little used to ab- 

 straction and generalization, but led by their habits, accus- 



