the naturalist on the river amazons-第15部分

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s　mode　of　progression　along　the　main　boughs　of　the　lofty　trees　is　like　that　of　the　squirrel；　it　does　not　ascend　to　the　slender　branches；　or　take　those　wonderful　flying　leaps　which　the　Cebidae　do；　whose　prehensile　tails　and　flexible　hands　fit　them　for　such　headlong　travelling。　It　confines　itself　to　the　larger　boughs　and　trunks　of　trees；　the　long　nails　being　of　great　assistance　to　the　creature；　enabling　it　to　cling　securely　to　the　bark；　and　it　is　often　seen　passing　rapidly　around　the　perpendicular　cylindrical　trunks。　It　is　a　quick；　restless；　timid　little　creature；　and　has　a　great　share　of　curiosity；　for　when　a　person　passes　by　under　the　trees　along　which　a　flock　is　running；　they　always　stop　for　a　few　moments　to　have　a　stare　at　the　intruder。

In　Para；　Midas　ursulus　is　often　seen　in　a　tame　state　in　the　houses　of　the　inhabitants。　When　full　grown　it　is　about　nine　inches　long；　independently　of　the　tail；　which　measures　fifteen　inches。　The　fur　is　thick；　and　black　in　colour；　with　the　exception　of　a　reddish…brown　streak　down　the　middle　of　the　back。　When　first　taken；　or　when　kept　tied　up；　it　is　very　timid　and　irritable。　It　will　not　allow　itself　to　be　approached；　but　keeps　retreating　backwards　when　any　one　attempts　to　coax　it。　It　is　always　in　a　querulous　humour；　uttering　a　twittering；　complaining　noise；　its　dark；　watchful　eyes　are　expressive　of　distrust；　and　observant　of　every　movement　which　takes　place　near　it。　When　treated　kindly；　however；　as　it　generally　is　in　the　houses　of　the　natives；　it　becomes　very　tame　and　familiar。　I　once　saw　one　as　playful　as　a　kitten；　running　about　the　house　after　the　negro　children；　who　fondled　it　to　their　hearts'　content。　It　acted　somewhat　differently　towards　strangers；　and　seemed　not　to　like　them　to　sit　in　the　hammock　which　was　slung　in　the　room；　leaping　up；　trying　to　bite；　and　otherwise　annoying　them。　It　is　generally　fed　sweet　fruits；　such　as　the　banana；　but　it　is　also　fond　of　insects；　especially　soft…bodied　spiders　and　grasshoppers；　which　it　will　snap　up　with　eagerness　when　within　reach。　The　expression　of　countenance　in　these　small　monkeys　is　intelligent　and　pleasing。　This　is　partly　owing　to　the　open　facial　angle；　which　is　given　as　one　of　60；　but　the　quick　movements　of　the　head；　and　the　way　they　have　of　inclining　it　to　one　side　when　their　curiosity　is　excited；　contribute　very　much　to　give　them　a　knowing　expression。

On　the　Upper　Amazons　I　once　saw　a　tame　individual　of　the　Midas　leoninus；　a　species　first　described　by　Humboldt；　which　was　still　more　playful　and　intelligent　than　the　one　just　described。　This　rare　and　beautiful　little　monkey　is　only　seven　inches　in　length；　exclusive　of　the　tail。　It　is　named　leoninus　on　account　of　the　long　brown　mane　which　depends　from　the　neck；　and　which　gives　it　very　much　the　appearance　of　a　diminutive　lion。　In　the　house　where　it　was　kept；　it　was　familiar　with　everyone；　its　greatest　pleasure　seeming　to　be　to　climb　about　the　bodies　of　different　persons　who　entered。　The　first　time　I　went　in；　it　ran　across　the　room　straightway　to　the　chair　on　which　I　had　sat　down；　and　climbed　up　to　my　shoulder；　having　arrived　there；　it　turned　round　and　looked　into　my　face；　showing　its　little　teeth　and　chattering；　as　though　it　would　say；　〃Well；　and　how　do　you　do？〃　It　showed　more　affection　towards　its　master　than　towards　strangers；　and　would　climb　up　to　his　head　a　dozen　times　in　the　course　of　an　hour；　making　a　great　show　every　time　of　searching　there　for　certain　animalcula。　Isidore　Geoffroy　St。　Hilaire　relates　of　a　species　of　this　genus；　that　it　distinguished　between　different　objects　depicted　on　an　engraving。　M。　Audouin　showed　it　the　portraits　of　a　cat　and　a　wasp；　at　these　it　became　much　terrified；　whereas；　at　the　sight　of　a　figure　of　a　grasshopper　or　beetle；　it　precipitated　itself　on　the　picture；　as　if　to　seize　the　objects　there　represented。

Although　monkeys　are　now　rare　in　a　wild　state　near　Para；　a　great　number　may　be　seen　semi…domesticated　in　the　city。　The　Brazilians　are　fond　of　pet　animals。　Monkeys；　however；　have　not　been　known　to　breed　in　captivity　in　this　country。　I　counted；　in　a　short　time；　thirteen　different　species；　whilst　walking　about　the　Para　streets；　either　at　the　doors　or　windows　of　houses；　or　in　the　native　canoes。　Two　of　them　I　did　not　meet　with　afterwards　in　any　other　part　of　the　country。　One　of　these　was　the　well…known　Hapale　Jacchus；　a　little　creature　resembling　a　kitten；　banded　with　black　and　grey　all　over　the　body　and　tail；　and　having　a　fringe　of　long　white　hairs　surrounding　the　ears。　It　was　seated　on　the　shoulder　of　a　young　mulatto　girl；　as　she　was　walking　along　the　street；　and　I　was　told　had　been　captured　in　the　island　of　Marajo。　The　other　was　a　species　of　Cebus；　with　a　remarkably　large　head。　It　had　ruddy…brown　fur；　paler　on　the　face；　but　presenting　a　blackish　tuft　on　the　top　of　the　forehead。

In　the　wet　season　serpents　are　common　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Para。　One　morning；　in　April；　1849；　after　a　night　of　deluging　rain；　the　lamplighter；　on　his　rounds　to　extinguish　the　lamps；　woke　me　up　to　show　me　a　boa…constrictor　he　had　just　killed　in　the　Rua　St。　Antonio；　not　far　from　my　door。　He　had　cut　it　nearly　in　two　with　a　large　knife；　as　it　was　making　its　way　down　the　sandy　street。　Sometimes　the　native　hunters　capture　boa…　constrictors　alive　in　the　forest　near　the　city。　We　bought　one　which　had　been　taken　in　this　way；　and　kept　it　for　some　time　in　a　large　box　under　our　verandah。　This　is　not；　however；　the　largest　or　most　formidable　serpent　found　in　the　Amazons　region。　It　is　far　inferior；　in　these　respects；　to　the　hideous　Sucuruju；　or　Water　Boa　（Eunectes　murinus）；　which　sometimes　attacks　man；　but　of　this　I　shall　have　to　give　an　account　in　a　subsequent　chapter。

It　frequently　happened；　in　passing　through　the　thickets；　that　a　snake　would　fall　from　the　boughs　close　to　me。　Once　for　a　few　moments　I　got　completely　entangled　in　the　folds　of　one；　a　wonderfully　slender　kind；　being　nearly　six　feet　in　length；　and　not　more　than　half　an　inch　in　diameter　at　its　broadest　part。　It　was　a　species　of　Dryophis。　The　majority　of　the　snakes　seen　were　innocuous。　One　day；　however；　I　trod　on　the　tail　of　a　young　serpent　belonging　to　a　very　poisonous　kind；　the　Jararaca　（Craspedocephalus　atrox）。　It　turned　round　and　bit　my　trousers；　and　a　young　Indian　lad；　who　was　behind　me；　dexterously　cut　it　through　with　his　knife　before　it　had　time　to　free　itself。　In　some　seasons　snakes　are　very　abundant；　and　it　often　struck　me　as　strange　that　accidents　did　not　occur　more　frequently　than　was　the　case。

Amongst　the　most　curious　snakes　found　here　were　the　Amphisbaenae；　a　genus　allied　to　the　slow…worm　of　Europe。　Several　species　occur　at　Para。　Those　brought　to　me　were　generally　not　much　more　than　a　foot　in　length。　They　are　of　cylindrical　shape；　having；　properly　speaking；　no　neck；　and　the　blunt　tail　which　is　only　about　an　inch　in　length；　is　of　the　same　shape　as　the　head。　This　peculiar　form；　added　to　their　habit　of　wriggling　backwards　as　well　as　forwards；　has　given　rise　to　the　fable　that　they　have　two　heads；　one　at　each　extremity。　They　are　extremely　sluggish　in　their　motions；　and　are　clothed　with　scales　that　have　the　form　of　small　imbedded　plates　arranged　in　rings　round　the　body。　The　eye　is　so　small　as　to　be　scarcely　perceptible。　They　live　habitually　in　the　subterranean　chambers　of　the　Sauba　ant；　only　coming　out　of　their　abodes　occasionally　in　the　night　time。　The　natives　call　the　Amphisbaena　the　〃Mai　das　Saubas；〃　or　Mother　of　the　Saubas；　and　believe　it　to　be　poisonous；　although　it　is　perfectly　harmless。　It　is　one　of　the　many　curious　animals　which　have　become　the　subject　of　mythical　stories　with　the　natives。　They　say　the　ants　treat　it　with　great　affection；　and　that　if　the　snake　be　taken　away　from　a　nest；　the　Saubas　will　forsake　the　spot。　I　once　took　one　quite　whole　out　of　the　body　of　a　young　Jararaca；　the　poisonous　species　already　alluded　to；　whose　body　was　so　distended　with　its　contents　that　the　skin　was　stretched　out　to　a　film　over　the　contained　Amphisbaena。　I　was；　unfortunately；　not　able　to　ascertain　the　exact　relation　which　subsists　between　these　curious　snakes　and　the　Sauba　ants。　I　believe　however；　they　feed　upon　the　Saubas；　for　I　once　found　remains　of　ants　in　the　stomach　of　one　of　them。　Their　motions　are　quite　peculiar；　the　undilatable　jaws；　small　eyes　and　curious　plated　integument　also　distinguish　them　from　other　snakes。　These　properties　have　evidently　some　relation　to　their　residence　in　the　subterranean　abodes　of　ants。　It　is　now　well　ascertained　by　naturalists；　that　some　of　the　most　anomalous　forms　amongst　Coleopterous　insects　are　those　which　live　solely　in　the　nests　of　ants；　and　it　is　curious　that　an　abnormal　form　of　snakes　should　also　be　found　in　the　society　of　these　insects。

The　neighbourhood　of　Para　is　rich　in　insects。　I　do　not　speak　of　the　number　of　individuals；　which　is　probably　less　than　one　meets　with；　excepting　ants　and　termites；　in　summer　days　in　temperate　latitudes；　but　the　variety；　or　in　other　words；　the　number　of　species；　is　very　great。　It　will　convey　some　idea　of　the　diversity　of　butterflies　when　I　mention　that　about　700　species　of　that　tribe　are　found　within　an　hour's　walk　of　the　town；　while　the　total　number　found　in　the　British　Islands　does　not　exceed　66；　and　the　whole　of　Europe　supports　only　321。　Some　of　the　most　showy　species；　such　as　the　swallow…tailed　kinds；　Papilio　Polycaon；　Thoas；　Torquatus；　and　others；　are　seen　flying　about　the　streets　and　gardens；　sometimes　they　come　through　the　open　windows；　attracted　by　flowers　in　the　apartments。　Those　species　of　Papilio　which　are　most　characteristic　of　the　country；　so　conspicuous　in　their　velvety…black；　green；　and　rose…coloured　hues；　which　Linnaeus；　in　pursuance　of　his　elegant　system　of　nomenclature　naming　the　different　kinds　after　the　heroes　of　Greek　mythology　called　Trojans；　never　leave　the　shades　of　the　forest。　The　splendid　metallic　blue　Morphos；　some　of　which　measure　seven　inches　in　expanse；　are　generally　confined　to　the　shady　alleys　of　the　forest。　They　sometimes　come　forth　into　the　broad　sunlight。

When　we　first　went　to　look　at　our　new　residence　in　Nazareth；　a　Morpho　Menelaus；　one　of　the　most　beautiful　kinds；　was　seen　flapping　its　huge　wings　like　a　bird　along　the　verandah。　This　species；　however；　although　much　admired；　looks　dull　in　colour　by　the　side　of　its　congener；