1848.] 
INSECTS CAPTURED. 
21 
vintem piece counts for four. The newer coinage also 
having been diminished in size with the depreciation of 
the currency, there has arisen such a confusion, that the 
size of the coin is scarcely any index to its value, and 
when two pieces are of exactly the same size one may be 
double the value of the other. An accurate examination 
of each coin is therefore necessary, which renders the 
making up of a large sum a matter requiring much prac- 
tice and attention. 
. There were living on the premises three Negroes who 
had the care of the coffee- and fruit-trees, and of the 
mandiocca field. The principal one, named Vincente, 
was a fine stout handsome Negro, who was celebrated as 
a catcher of '' bichos,’’ as they here call all insects, rep- 
tiles, and small animals. He soon brought us in several 
insects. One was a gigantic hairy spider, a Mygale, 
which he skilfully dug out of its hole in the earth, and 
caught in a leaf. He told us he was once bitten by 
one, and was bad some time. When questioned on 
the matter, he said the “ bicho” was muito mak’ (very 
bad), and concluded with an expressive “whew-w-w,"’ 
which just answers to a schoolboy’s “ Aint it though ?” 
and intimates that there can be no doubt at all about 
the matter. It seems probable therefore that this insect 
is not armed in vain with such powerful fangs, but is 
capable of inflicting with them an envenomed wound. 
During one of our exploratory rambles we came upon 
the country-house of a Trench gentleman, M. Borlaz, 
who is Swiss Consul in Para. Much to our surprise he 
addressed us in English, and then showed us round his 
grounds, and pointed out to us the paths in the woods 
i 
