274 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 
ments in the trees that attracted my. attention and 
made me look up anxiously, expecting monkeys. 
A little carthiola was building its nest; he was 
actively at work and had nearly finished it, and was 
tearing strips from the dead and dry balisier with 
which to line it. It defended its nest with great spirit, 
and attacked any bird coming near. Now and then it 
robbed another nearly completed nest of material, 
making a squabble with its owner. 
By an intolerable itching, which no amount of 
scratching could allay, I became aware that my legs 
were covered with that insect pest of the tropics, the 
béte rouge — an insect so small as to be scarcely visible 
to the naked eye, the bites of which cause great suf- 
fering. In the rainy season, especially, is this insect 
annoying ; then one cannot walk in the grass without 
getting covered with it. It sometimes causes sores or 
ulcers, the result of scratching, and the only remedy 
is to cover the body with grease or oil. So intense 
became the pain that I could no longer remain quiet, 
and was dancing a frantic jig when my little darky 
pulled my coat and pointed to the cliff. 
The vines hanging from the limbs of the great tree 
were shaking, and a low murmur of many monkey 
voices announced the coming of the troop. A round 
head peeped forth from the leaves, a hairy face, that 
was directly withdrawn, and its place supplied by 
another, older apparently, and having a look on 
its wrinkled visage of preternatural wisdom. This 
wrinkled face was followed by a grisly body, and 
soon an immense old fellow was clinging to the lianas 
and swinging himself downward. He was followed 
by a score or more of others, tumbling promiscuously 
