Chap. XXX. 
INSECT LIFE—BIEDS. 
609 
While waiting by the elephant, I observed a great number of 
insects, like grains of fine sand, movuig on my boxes. On exa¬ 
mination with a glass, four species were apparent; one of green 
and gold preening its wings, which glanced in the sun with 
metalKc lustre, another clear as crystal, a third of the colour 
of vermiKon, and a fourth black. These are probably some 
of those which consume the seeds of every plant that grows. 
Almost every kind has its own pecuKar insect, and when the 
rains are over, very few seeds remain untouched. The rankest 
poisons, as the Kongwhane and Euphorbia, are soon devoured— 
the former has a scarlet insect; and even the fiery bird’s-eye 
pepper, which will keep off many others from their own seeds, is 
itself devoured by a maggot. I observed here, what I had often 
seen before, that certain districts abound in centipedes. Here 
they have light reddish bodies and blue legs; gTeat myriapedes 
are seen crawling everywhere. Although they do no harm, they 
excite in man a feeling of loathing. Perhaps om’ appearance pro¬ 
duces a similar feeling in the elephant and other large animals. 
Where they have been much disturbed, they certainly look upon 
us with great distrust, as the horrid biped that ruins their peace. 
In the quietest parts of the forest there is heard a fault but 
distinct hum, which tells of insect joy. One may see many 
whisking about in the clear sunsliine in patches among the green 
glancing leaves; but there are invisible myriads working with 
never-tiring mandibles on leaves, and stalks, and beneath the 
soil. They are all brimful of enjoyment. Indeed the univer¬ 
sality of organic life may be called a mantle of happy existence 
encircling the world, and impairs the idea of its being caused by 
the consciousness of our benignant Father’s smile on all the 
works of His hands. 
The birds of the tropics have been described as generally want¬ 
ing in power of song. I was decidedly of opinion that this was 
not applicable to many parts in Londa, though birds there are 
remarkably scarce. Here the chorus, or body of song, was not 
much smaller in volume than it is in England. It was not so 
harmonious, and sounded always as if the birds were singing in 
a foreign tongue. Some resemble the lark, and indeed there are 
several of that family; two have notes not unlike those of the 
thrush. One brought the chaffinch to my mind, and another 
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