^ AFRICA. 
nomous caterpillar is found. It Is two Inches 
and a h;ilf long,; but it is deftitute of venom, 
unlefs it feed on a polfonous plant. When it 
is found on the geranium, where I have often 
met with it, it is in no wife dangerous, as I 
have been convinced by experience. Accord- 
ingly, the favages do not ufe fuch as feed on 
this plant. But among the rocks there grows 
in abundance a little fhrub, the juice of which 
is a corrofive poifon, and it communicates the 
fam,e property to the caterpillars which feed 
on it.s leaves. The favages feek what they 
want on this fhrub ; and if they do not find 
enough on it, they take fome from the gera- 
nium, and place them on this fhrub to feed. 
The time of gathering thefe infeds is juft as 
they are going to change to chryfalides : that 
is to fay, when their rings fwell, and their 
fliape begins to alter. They are then coUeded ; 
little leathern bags are filled with them; and 
there they are left to ferment. The fermenta.- 
tion occafions a fiow tranfudation through the 
bag, by which the aqqeous moifture is eva- 
porated ; and the inteftine commotion does 
not ceafe till the refiduum, being concentrated, 
figs ?iffum^d the confiftenge of a very thick 
4 bl^ick 
