i 88 3 .] 
Analyses of Books . 
171 
of dredging or netting, but by pumping up sea-water and strain- 
ing it through fine cloth, he succeeded in obtaining a frequent 
supply of small, but often highly interesting, Crustacea. 
He notes that the flying-fish during their flight often changed 
their direction and effected striking movements. He considers 
that they accomplish these evolutions by touching the water in 
their flight and steering with the tail. 
On landing at Akkra, Dr. Buchholz, like most naturalists who 
for the first time set foot in a tropical country, was delighted 
with the large and splendid butterflies, the large brilliant wasps 
belonging to the genera Pepsis , Sphex , Pelopous , &c. He found, 
however, great difficulties in the preservation of his specimens. 
A small fly pertinaciously tried to lay its eggs in the insedts. 
Swarms of ants put in an appearance, whilst if the boxes were 
closed the contents became mouldy. This shows the necessity 
of having at hand proper poisons to spoil the appetite of 
marauders. The Termites were an especial objedt of our 
traveller’s investigation. Many large hills which he broke open 
were deserted by their original inhabitants, but peopled with 
various wasps, bees, ants, spiders, &c. An occupied hill was 
found to contain workers, and two kinds of soldiers, large and 
small, but neither queen nor brood. A violent attack of fever put 
a temporary stop to the researches of Dr. Buchholz. He was 
told that this early attack was a good sign, as those who were 
not seized with the fever until laterwere in much greater danger. 
He resolved, however, to penetrate further inland to the village 
Aburi, situate on a hill about 1200 feet above the sea-level. On 
the way he found a “ fabulous ” wealth of insedts, especially 
magnificent butterflies of numerous and often novel species. 
Scarcely less striking was the flora which displayed wonderful 
ferns, climbers, magnificent palms, and other huge trees, many 
of them covered with huge splendid flowers. At Aburi the 
climate was healthier, and the air drier, so that Dr. Buchholz 
had less trouble with his specimens. He points out as- an error 
the common notion that the indigenous negroes are proof against 
the fever on the low coast-lands. They, too, are often attacked, 
though, as might be expedted, less severely than strangers. 
The coffee plantations are much damaged by a “ boring worm,” 
probably a larva. Parrots, monkeys, &c., were scarce, but insedts 
were found day by day in astonishing variety. Hence, whilst 
Buchholz remained for some weeks at Aburi, his companions, 
whose main objedt was ornithology, returned to the low grounds. 
He paid much attention to the driver-ants, two species of which 
at times do no little damage. They have been known to kill and 
partly eat a sheep which had been tied fast, to scare serpents out 
of their holes, and to turn out the entire congregation from the 
Mission Church. Like the termites, the drivers have large- 
headed soldiers as well as workers. A yellow species of ant, 
belonging to the Myrmicidoe , makes its nest of green living 
N 2 
