450 
AMT. 
less astonished than we should have been to find 
that we had profaned a consecrated grove, where 
every tree upon being wounded gave signs of life ; 
for we were instantly covered with legions of these 
animals, swarming from every bough, and inflict- 
ing their stings with incessant violence. 
“ A third kind we found nested in the root of a 
plant which grows on the bark of trees in the manner 
of mistletoe, and which they had perforated for that 
use. The root is commonly as big as a large tur- 
nip, and sometimes much bigger : when we cut it, 
we found it intersected by innumerable winding 
passages, all filled with these animals, by which, 
however, the vegetation of the plant did not appear 
to have suffered any injury. We never cut one of 
these roots that was not inhabited, though some 
were not bigger than a hazle-nut. The animals 
themselves are very small, not more than half as 
big as the common red ant in England. They had 
stings, but scarcely force enough to make them felt: 
they had, however, a power of tormenting us in 
an equal if not in a greater degree ; for, the moment 
we handled the root, they swarmed from innume- 
rable holes, and, running about those parts of the 
body that were uncovered, produced a titillation 
more intolerable than pain, except it is increased 
to great violence.” 
In South America these insects are equally com- 
mon, and some of them grow to a large size. Dam- 
pier observed two or three sorts of black ants which 
were very formidable ; he describes one of them, 
