149 



which unquestionably proceeds from that shrub, and 

 might be found useful for many purposes. These 

 glands serve at the same time for the habitation of a 

 kind of caterpillar, which becomes transformed into 

 a small fly with four brown wings, of the genus of 

 cynips. 



In Chili there are many species of the bee, par- 

 ticularly in the southern provinces, where those that 

 produce honey make their hives in hollow trees, or 

 in holes in the earth ; all the wax used in the Archi- 

 pelago of Chiloe is the product of these wild bees. 



As far as I have been able to ascertain, none of the 

 common wasps are to be found in Chili, and as to mus-- 

 quitoes, gnats, and other species of stinging flies, so 

 troublesome to the inhabitants of warm countries, 

 they are entirely unknown there. In the vicinity of 

 stagnant waters only have I observed a gnat of the 

 species denominated by Linnseus culex ciliaris. 



Of the water-fly, there are several species ; they 

 are always met with in the neighbourhood of dwell- ^ 

 ings, and differ in no respect from those of Europe, 

 excepting one of a middle size, found only in the 

 province of Calchagua. This is remarkable for its 

 pleasant musky smell, and is used by the inhabitants 

 to perfume their clothes, from which circumstance I 

 have named it tipula moschifera. 



As to the ants, they appear to me to be of the same 

 kind with those of Europe, and not to ofier any dis» 

 criminative mark of character. 



The Chigua (pulex penetrans) called by the Chi- 

 lians nigua or pequiy is found only in the environs of 

 the city of Coquimbo, and so rarely is it met with 



