156 



WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



I would frequently go and stand mtliin three yards of a 

 cow, and distinctly see the caprimulgus catch the flies 

 on its udder. On looking for them in the forest, during 

 the day, I either found them on the ground, or else 

 invariably sitting longitudinally on the branch of a tree, 

 not cro8mise,Y^<6 all other birds. 



^ ^ The "Wasps, or Maribuntas, are great 



or MariiDuii-' plagues in these forests, and require the 

 naturalist to be cautious as he wanders up 

 and down. Some make their nests pendent from the 

 branches ; others have them fixed to the underside of 

 a leaf ISTow, in passing on, if you happen to disturb 

 one of these, they sally forth and punish you severely. 

 The largest kind is blue ; it brings blood where its 

 sting enters, and causes pain and inflammation enough 

 to create a fever. The Indians make a fire under the 

 nest, and after killing, or driving away the old ones, 

 they roast the young grubs in the comb and eat them. 

 I tried them once by way of dessert after dinner, but 

 my stomach was offended at their intrusion ; probably 

 it was more the idea than the taste that caused the 

 stomach to rebel. 



Time and experience have convinced me that there 



Snakes and not much danger in roving amongst snakes 

 wild beasts. beasts, provided only that you have 



self-command. You must never approach them ab- 

 ruptly ; if so, you are sure to pay for your rashness ; 

 because the idea of self-defence is predominant in every 

 animal, and thus the snake, to defend himself from 

 what he considers an attack upon him, makes the 

 intruder feel the deadly effect of his poisonous fangs. 

 The jaguar flies at you, and knocks you senseless with a 

 stroke of his paw j whereas, if you had not come upon 



