The National tribune., 1898-04-28

posed little green wasp toiled We watched
one with interest. First it built a little sub
teuanean gallery, digging and throwing
back the sand with its bristiy fore feet;
then it went off after a fly. This was
scientifically stung SO as to paralyZe move
ment, and forthwith thrown into the afore-
said prison, whose entrance this wasp
carefully closed. Instead of ever thinking
they had enough, as idle insects might
have done, these industrious beings worked
all day long, and since their numbers were
very large, flies in immense quantities
and of every degree of hatefulness must
have thus perished-but principally those
known as motucas, which are blocd-suckers
above all others among these depraved
species.
Many kinds of bees live on the campos-
all interested land goes by that name in
BraZil-and they may be called unciviIiZed
bees, for the same reason that this term is
given to aboriginal men dwelling here.
Everything these insects do is in Il rude,
imperfect way. They cannot build regular
combs, and instead of living in organized
SwarmS, their associations are loose and
altogether incomplete. There is like diff
ference between Brazilian bees'nestS and
those belonging to Europe, or constructed
by descendants OF imported species in the
United States, as there is between an
Indian village and civilized town.
No subject has been more frequently
used and abused in moral discOurSes than
the wonderful instinct and surprisingly
good behavior of ants and bees. Some
varieties of the latter in this country do
rather better than others, but none have
reached that degree of development which
Is commonly thought TO be natural and
universal, and as for that type of patient
industry the ant, there are whole groups OF
these who will die of hunger while
plenty Of food lies around, rather than take
the trouble to feed themselves
Thus far our observations must be re-
garded as applying only to tracts lying
near the TapaiO's mouth. We could not
go further south without men who might be
depended upon when ii was necessary TO
fight, and also in sufficient force to en-
counter those hostile bands of fugitive
slaves who during generations have settled
amidst this desolate region and relapsed
into savagery-at Sierra de Mur,raIu for
instance, and along the Irura and Panema
Rivers.
The future held in store enough en-
counters with wild men and wild beasts
which could not be avoided Moreover.
both OF us were accustomed to wandering
among unsafe places, and we would have
been ashamed to seek useless risks. like
a couple of recruits who knew nothing
about actual service.
In the mean time it was better TO studv
natural science-hunt, observe or collect
and when wearied, lie at ease i'm some
grove thronged with living things. and
watch the action OF LIES varied drama as
its scenes went on. An endless variety of
animal and vegetable forms were at hand
Sometimes a flock Of glossy black anus
got tired OF roaming the great plains. and
came in for a change, one by one. using
much precaution, and calling 10 each other
assurances that all WAS safe. Radiant
but silent and solitary toucans went about
their business of looking Tor insects or prubs
with preOccupied air, taking little notice
of those singular creatures who lay in the
shade looking on.
Sulky,. unsociable trogons, gorgeously
hedecked with green and rose coIored
plumage. sat i'm contemplation. motionless
or hours, and seemed as if challenging us
TO guess what they were thinking Of Blue
and black butterflies tapped their bread
wings among lofty tree-tops, and the faint
irdistinct hum and hustle of invisible be-
ings, those murmurS from a lower mani
mate world which break the hush of every
prImeval wood, were at times overpowered
by the loud splashing OF large. hideous
water lizards that came TO gaze an instant
and then disappear; or by the scurryings
OF still larger land species of like kind
chasing che another over fallen leaves
and dead twigs.
Tracks OF deer, tiger-cats. and opossums
were frequently seen, as also those of the
laguar himseif-broad footprints stamped
upon the damp soil at many a pool or
stream; but to us the campos showed no
quadrupeds of any size, ard we remained
content TO wait for panthers and tigers un-
til they should be met with in those gloomy
Amazonian forests where our campfires
would soon be burning.
ITO be cnafiDued1