68 



PARA 



although it is perfectly harmless. It is one of the many 

 curious animals which have become the subject of mythical 

 stories with the natives. They say the ants treat it with 

 great affection, and that, if the snake be taken away 

 from a nest, the Saiibas will forsake the spot. I once took 

 one quite whole out of the body of a young Jararaca, 

 the poisonous species already alluded to, whose body 

 was so distended with its contents that the skin was 

 stretched out to a film over the contained Amphisbaena. 

 I was, unfortunately, not able to ascertain the exact 

 relation which subsists between these curious snakes and 

 the Saiiba ants. I believe, however, they feed upon the 

 Saiibas, for I once found remains of ants in the stomach 

 of one of them. Their motions are quite peculiar ; the 

 undilatable jaws, small eyes and curious plated integument 

 also distinguish them from other snakes. These pro- 

 perties have evidently some relation to their residence 

 in the subterranean abodes of ants. It is now well as- 

 certained by naturalists, that some of the most anomalous 

 forms amongst Coleopterous insects are those which live 

 solely in the nests of ants, and it is curious that an ab- 

 normal form of snakes should also be found in the society 

 of these insects. 



The neighbourhood of Para is rich in insects. I do not 

 speak of the quantity of individuals, which is probably 

 less than one meets with, excepting ants and Termites, in 

 summer days in temperate latitudes ; but the variety, or 

 in other words, the number of species is very great. It 

 will convey some idea of the diversity of butterflies when 

 I mention that about 700 species of that tribe are found 

 within an hour's walk of the town ; whilst the total 

 number found in the British Islands does not exceed 

 66, and the whole of Europe supports only 390. Some 

 of the most showy species, such as the swallow- tailed 

 kinds, Papilio Polycaon, Thoas, Torquatus, and others, 

 are seen flying about the streets and gardens ; some- 

 times they come through the open windows, attracted 

 by flowers in the apartments. Those species of Papiho 

 which are most characteristic of the country, so conspi- 

 cuous in their velvety-black, green, and rose-coloured 

 hues, which Linnaeus, in pursuance of his elegant system 

 of nomenclature, — naming the different kinds after the 

 heroes of Greek mythology, — called Trojans, never leave 

 the shades of the forest. The splendid metallic blue 



