Natural-History Collectors. 3899 



in the earth in the dry season, and that this is the reason I could not 

 find it. I send a few of Helix rosarea &c. 



"I am delighted to hear that my paper on the Megacephali is to be 

 so much honoured as to be published in the ' Transactions of the 

 Entomological Society,' and now look forward anxiously to receive a 

 copy. I found no Megacephali in the Tapajos, although I searched 

 the vast tracts of sandy beaches in the river ; the cause of their ab- 

 sence, and that of other shore Coleoptera, is the abundance of a vora- 

 cious stinging ant, which swarms on all the shores to an extent I can 

 give you no idea of: it is so annoying, that villages have been forsa- 

 ken on account of it : one cannot land on any shore without being 

 instantly overrun and stung severely. These ants burrow in the sand, 

 and there is scarcely a square inch of ground on the Tapajos shore 

 free from them : what sand-insect can stand against such an enemy ? 



" 1 hope some of my specimens of medicinal and economic Botany 

 may prove curious and saleable. I have never lost sight of the sub- 

 ject, chiefly from my desire to serve my good friend, Mr. Saunders ; 

 but in a country so uncivilized as this is, it is impossible to get up the 

 series of specimens as they ought to be. 1. There is no trade in wood 

 or timber; and it is only on a chance occasion that a carpenter here 

 gets more than two or three of the common kinds of wood : even of 

 these woods, I have tried to coax one or two carpenters to make up 

 for me a few squares, for payment, of course, but it is out of their re- 

 gular way, and they won't do it. 2. In the midst of such a vast vari- 

 ety of trees in the forest, it is difficult to find the particular species of 

 tree you have an illustration of (say the wood), and want a flower, a 

 piece of bark, &c. ; and it is only a very few persons who can thus 

 recognise the few known and useful trees, the far greater part not hav- 

 ing even native names. If you get a rare chance of seeing a tree in 

 the forest, say a Masaranduba or an Itariba, ten to one it is not in 

 flower or fruit, and your guide cannot tell you when it does flower. 

 All this has happened to me repeatedly, and I despair of getting up 

 the illustrative series of economic Botany complete. I have, as you 

 will see, often sent you a branch of leaves only of some interesting trees. 



" I am now uncertain as to my future proceedings, and depend 

 much on results of sales of the collections of May and June, your let- 

 ters about which I am daily expecting. There is still enough for a 

 six months' journey up the Tapajos, going at least 100 or 200 miles 

 above my last point ; but we must conclude that there in not a great 

 difference in the insects in this direction, such as takes place about 

 Ega : and besides, the moist forest valley ceases about 200 miles up, 



