the naturalist on the river amazons-第25部分

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t　at　New　Orleans。　He　was　there　told　that　the　only　port　in　North　America　he　could　start　from　was　New　York；　so　away　he　sailed　for　New　York；　but　there　was　no　chance　of　a　vessel　sailing　thence　to　Para；　so　he　took　a　passage　to　Demerara；　as　bringing　him；　at　any　rate；　near　to　the　desired　land。　There　is　no　communication　whatever　between　Demerara　and　Para；　and　he　was　forced　to　remain　here　with　his　family　four　or　five　months；　during　which　they　all　caught　the　yellow　fever；　and　one　of　his　children　died。　At　length；　he　heard　of　a　small　coasting　vessel　going　to　Cayenne；　so　he　embarked；　and　thereby　got　another　stage　nearer　the　end　of　his　journey。　A　short　time　after　reaching　Cayenne；　he　shipped　in　a　schooner　that　was　going　to　Para；　or　rather　the　island　of　Marajo；　for　a　cargo　of　cattle。　He　had　now　fixed　himself；　after　all　his　wanderings；　in　a　healthy　and　fertile　little　nook　on　the　banks　of　a　rivulet　near　Caripi；　built　himself　a　log…hut；　and　planted　a　large　patch　of　mandioca　and　Indian　corn。　He　seemed　to　be　quite　happy；　but　his　wife　complained　much　of　the　want　of　wholesome　food；　meat；　and　wheaten　bread。　I　asked　the　children　whether　they　liked　the　country；　they　shook　their　heads；　and　said　they　would　rather　be　in　Illinois。　Petzell　told　me　that　his　Indian　neighbours　treated　him　very　kindly；　one　or　other　of　them　called　almost　every　day　to　see　how　he　was　getting　on；　and　they　had　helped　him　in　many　ways。　He　had　a　high　opinion　of　the　Tapuyos；　and　said；　〃If　you　treat　them　well；　they　will　go　through　fire　to　serve　you。〃

Petzell　and　his　family　were　expert　insect…collectors；　so　I　employed　them　at　this　work　during　my　stay　at　Caripi。　The　daily　occurrences　here　were　after　a　uniform　fashion。　I　rose　with　the　dawn；　took　a　cup　of　coffee；　and　then　sallied　forth　after　birds。　At　ten　I　breakfasted；　and　devoted　the　hours　from　ten　until　three　to　entomology。　The　evening　was　occupied　in　preserving　and　storing　my　captures。　Petzell　and　I　sometimes　undertook　long　excursions；　occupying　the　whole　day。　Our　neighbours　used　to　bring　me　all　the　quadrupeds；　birds；　reptiles；　and　shells　they　met　with；　and　so　altogether　I　was　enabled　to　acquire　a　good　collection　of　the　productions　of　the　district。

The　first　few　nights　I　was　much　troubled　by　bats。　The　room　where　I　slept　had　not　been　used　for　many　months；　and　the　roof　was　open　to　the　tiles　and　rafters。　The　first　night　I　slept　soundly　and　did　not　perceive　anything　unusual；　but　on　the　next　I　was　aroused　about　midnight　by　the　rushing　noise　made　by　vast　hosts　of　bats　sweeping　about　the　room。　The　air　was　alive　with　them；　they　had　put　out　the　lamp；　and　when　I　relighted　it　the　place　appeared　blackened　with　the　impish　multitudes　that　were　whirling　round　and　round。　After　I　had　laid　about　well　with　a　stick　for　a　few　minutes；　they　disappeared　amongst　the　tiles；　but　when　all　was　still　again　they　returned；　and　once　more　extinguished　the　light。　I　took　no　further　notice　of　them；　and　went　to　sleep。　The　next　night　several　got　into　my　hammock；　I　seized　them　as　they　were　crawling　over　me；　and　dashed　them　against　the　wall。　The　next　morning　I　found　a　wound；　evidently　caused　by　a　bat；　on　my　hip。　This　was　rather　unpleasant；　so　I　set　to　work　with　the　negroes；　and　tried　to　exterminate　them。　I　shot　a　great　many　as　they　hung　from　the　rafters；　and　the　negroes　having　mounted　with　ladders　to　the　roof　outside；　routed　out　from　beneath　the　caves　many　hundreds　of　them；　including　young　broods。　There　were　altogether　four　speciestwo　belonging　to　the　genus　Dysopes；　one　to　Phyllostoma；　and　the　fourth　to　Glossophaga。　By　far　the　greater　number　belonged　to　the　Dysopes　perotis；　a　species　having　very　large　ears；　and　measuring　two　feet　from　tip　to　tip　of　the　wings。　The　Phyllostoma　was　a　small　kind；　of　a　dark…grey　colour；　streaked　with　white　down　the　back；　and　having　a　leaf…shaped　fleshy　expansion　on　the　tip　of　the　nose。　I　was　never　attacked　by　bats　except　on　this　occasion。　The　fact　of　their　sucking　the　blood　of　persons　sleeping；　from　wounds　which　they　make　in　the　toes；　is　now　well　established；　but　it　is　only　a　few　persons　who　are　subject　to　this　blood…letting。　According　to　the　negroes；　the　Phyllostoma　is　the　only　kind　which　attacks　man。　Those　which　I　caught　crawling　over　me　were　Dysopes；　and　I　am　inclined　to　think　many　different　kinds　of　bats　have　this　propensity。

One　day　I　was　occupied　searching　for　insects　in　the　bark　of　a　fallen　tree；　when　I　saw　a　large　cat…like　animal　advancing　towards　the　spot。　It　came　within　a　dozen　yards　before　perceiving　me。　I　had　no　weapon　with　me　but　an　old　chisel；　and　was　getting　ready　to　defend　myself　if　it　should　make　a　spring；　when　it　turned　around　hastily　and　trotted　off。　I　did　not　obtain　a　very　distinct　view　of　it；　but　I　could　see　its　colour　was　that　of　the　Puma；　or　American　Lion；　although　it　was　rather　too　small　for　that　species。　The　Puma　is　not　a　common　animal　in　the　Amazons　forests。　I　did　not　see　altogether　more　than　a　dozen　skins；　in　the　possession　of　the　natives。　The　fur　is　of　a　fawn　colour。　On　account　of　its　hue　resembling　that　of　a　deer　common　in　the　forests；　the　natives　call　it　the　Sassu…arana；　＇The　old　zoologist　Marcgrave　called　the　Puma　the　Cuguacuarana；　probably　（the　c's　being　soft）　a　misspelling　of　Sassu…arana；　hence；　the　name　Cougouar　employed　by　French　zoologists；　and　copied　in　most　works　on　natural　history。＇　or　the　false　deer；　that　is；　an　animal　which　deceives　one　at　first　sight　by　its　superficial　resemblance　to　a　deer。　The　hunters　are　not　at　all　afraid　of　it；　and　speak　always　in　disparaging　terms　of　its　courage。　Of　the　Jaguar；　they　give　a　very　different　account。

The　only　species　of　monkey　I　met　with　at　Caripi　was　the　same　dark…coloured　little　Midas　already　mentioned　as　found　near　Para。　The　great　Anteater；　Tamandua　of　the　natives　（Myrmecophaga　jubata）；　was　not　uncommon　here。　After　the　first　few　weeks　of　residence；　I　ran　short　of　fresh　provisions。　The　people　of　the　neighbourhood　had　sold　me　all　the　fowls　they　could　spare；　I　had　not　yet　learned　to　eat　the　stale　and　stringy　salt…fish　which　is　the　staple　food　in　these　places；　and　for　several　days　I　had　lived　on　rice…porridge；　roasted　bananas；　and　farinha。　Florinda　asked　me　whether　I　could　eat　Tamandua。　I　told　her　almost　anything　in　the　shape　of　flesh　would　be　acceptable；　so　the　same　day　she　went　with　an　old　negro　named　Antonio　and　the　dogs；　and　in　the　evening　brought　one　of　the　animals。　The　meat　was　stewed　and　turned　out　very　good；　something　like　goose　in　flavour。　The　people　at　Caripi　would　not　touch　a　morsel；　saying　it　was　not　considered　fit　to　eat　in　these　parts；　I　had　read；　however；　that　it　was　an　article　of　food　in　other　countries　of　South　America。　During　the　next　two　or　three　weeks；　whenever　we　were　short　of　fresh　meat；　Antonio　was　always　ready；　for　a　small　reward；　to　get　me　a　Tamandua。　But　one　day　he　came　to　me　in　great　distress；　with　the　news　that　his　favourite　dog；　Atrevido；　had　been　caught　in　the　grip　of　an　ant…　eater；　and　was　killed。　We　hastened　to　the　place；　and　found　the　dog　was　not　dead；　but　severely　torn　by　the　claws　of　the　animal；　which　itself　was　mortally　wounded；　and　was　now　relaxing　its　grasp。

The　habits　of　the　Myrmecophaga　jubata　are　now　pretty　well　known。　It　is　not　uncommon　in　the　drier　forests　of　the　Amazons　valley；　but　is　not　found；　I　believe；　in　the　Ygapo；　or　flooded　lands。　The　Brazilians　call　the　species　the　Tamandua　bandeira；　or　the　Banner　Anteater；　the　term　banner　being　applied　in　allusion　to　the　curious　colouration　of　the　animal；　each　side　of　the　body　having　a　broad　oblique　stripe；　half　grey　and　half　black；　which　gives　it　some　resemblance　to　a　heraldic　banner。　It　has　an　excessively　long　slender　muzzle；　and　a　wormlike　extensile　tongue。　Its　jaws　are　destitute　of　teeth。　The　claws　are　much　elongated；　and　its　gait　is　very　awkward。　It　lives　on　the　ground；　and　feeds　on　termites；　or　white　ants　　the　long　claws　being　employed　to　pull　in　pieces　the　solid　hillocks　made　by　the　insects；　and　the　long　flexible　tongue　to　lick　them　up　from　the　crevices。　All　the　other　species　of　this　singular　genus　are　arboreal。　I　met　with　four　species　altogether。　One　was　the　Myrmecophaga　tetradactyla；　the　two　others；　more　curious　and　less　known；　were　very　small　kinds；　called　Tamandua…i。　Both　are　similar　in　sizeten　inches　in　length；　exclusive　of　the　tailand　in　the　number　of　the　claws；　having　two　of　unequal　length　to　the　anterior　feet；　and　four　to　the　hind　feet。　One　species　is　clothed　with　greyish…yellow　silky　hair　this　is　of　rare　occurrence。　The　other　has　a　fur　of　a　dingy　brown　colour；　without　silky　lustre。　One　was　brought　to　me　alive　at　Caripi；　having　been　caught　by　an　Indian；　clinging　motionless　inside　a　hollow　tree。　I　kept　it　in　the　house　about　twenty…four　hours。　It　had　a　moderately　long　snout；　curved　downwards；　and　extremely　small　eyes。　It　remained　nearly　all　the　time　without　motion　except　when　irritated；　in　which　case　it　reared　itself　on　its　hind　legs　from　the　back　of　a　chair　to　which　it　clung；　and　clawed　out　with　its　forepaws　like　a　cat。　Its　manner　of　clinging　with　its　claws；　and　the　sluggishness　of　its　motions；　gave　it　a　great　resemblance　to　a　sloth。　It　uttered　no　sound；　and　remained　all　night　on　the　spot　where　I　had　placed　it　in　the　morning。　The　next　day；　I　put　it　on　a　tree　in　the　open　air；　and　at　night　it　escaped。　These　small　Tamanduas　are　nocturnal　in　their　habits；　and　feed　on　those　species　of　termites　which　construct　earthy　nests　that　look　like　ugly　excrescences　on　the　trunks　and　branches　of　trees。　The　different　kinds　of　ant…eaters　are　thus　adapted　to　various　modes　of　life；　terrestrial　and　arboreal。　Those　which　live　on　trees　are　again　either　diurnal　or　nocturnal；　for　Myrmecophaga　tetradactyla　is　seen　moving　along　the　main　branches　in　the　daytime。　The　allied　group　of　the　Sloths；　which　are　still　more　exclusively　South　American　forms　than　ant…eaters　are；　at　the　present　time　furnish　arboreal　species　only；　but　formerly　terrestrial　forms　of　sloths　also　existed；　as　the　Megatherium；　whose　mode　of　life　was　a　puzzle；　seeing　that　it　was　of　too　colossal　a　size　to　live　on　trees；　until　Owen　showed　how　it　might　have　obtained　its　food　from　the　ground。

In　January　the　orange…trees　became　covered　with　blossom；　at　least　to　a　greater　extent　than　usual；　for　they　flower　more　or　less　in　this　country　all　the　year　roundand　attracting　a　great　number　of　hummingbirds。　Every　day；　in　the　cooler　hours　of　the　mornin