107 



year 1801, the great blue winged gnat (culex cy- 

 anopterus) has appeared in such numbers, that the 

 poor inhabitants of Simiti know not how to pro- 

 cure a tranquil sleep. In the marshy channels 

 (esteros ) of the isle of Baru, near Carthagena, 

 is found a little white fly, called cafafi*. It is 

 scarcely visible to the naked eye, and causes very 

 painful swellings. The toldos or cottons used for 

 moschetto curtains, must be wet, in order that 

 the cafqfi may not penetrate through the inter- 

 stices left by the crossing threads. This insect, 

 happily rare elsewhere, goes up, in January, by 

 the channel or dique of Mahates, as far as Mo- 

 rales. When we went to this village in the 

 month of May, we found there simulice and zan- 

 cudoes, but no jej ens. 



Slight differences of food and climate appear 

 to change, in the same species of moschettoes 

 and gnats, the activity of the poison, which these 

 animals distil from their sharp sucker, toothed 

 at the lower end. The insects most trouble- 

 some at Oroonoko, or as the Creoles say, the 

 most ferocious (los mas feroces), are those of 

 the Great Cataracts of Esmeralda, and Manda- 

 vaca. On the Rio Magdalena the culex cyanap- 

 terus is dreaded, particularly at Mompox, Chil- 

 loa, and Tamalameca. At these places this in- 

 sect is larger and stronger, and it's legs blacker. 



* Perhaps of the section of mlkiform tipuld. 



