the naturalist on the river amazons-第38部分

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anks　of　the　numerous　channels　and　lakes。　The　trade　of　the　place　is　chiefly　in　India…rubber；　balsam　of　Copaiba　（which　are　collected　on　the　banks　of　the　Madeira　and　the　numerous　rivers　that　enter　the　Canoma　channel）；　and　salt　fish；　prepared　in　the　dry　season；　nearer　home。　These　articles　are　sent　to　Para　in　exchange　for　European　goods。　The　few　Indian　and　half…breed　families　who　reside　in　the　town　are　many　shades　inferior　in　personal　qualities　and　social　condition　to　those　I　lived　amongst　near　Para　and　Cameta。　They　live　in　wretched　dilapidated　mud…hovels；　the　women　cultivate　small　patches　of　mandioca；　the　men　spend　most　of　their　time　in　fishing；　selling　what　they　do　not　require　themselves　and　getting　drunk　with　the　most　exemplary　regularity　on　cashaca；　purchased　with　the　proceeds。

I　made；　in　this　second　visit　to　Villa　Nova；　an　extensive　collection　of　the　natural　productions　of　the　neighbourhood。　A　few　remarks　on　some　of　the　more　interesting　of　these　must　suffice。　The　forests　are　very　different　in　their　general　character　from　those　of　Para；　and　in　fact　those　of　humid　districts　generally　throughout　the　Amazons。　The　same　scarcity　of　large…leaved　Musaceous　and　Marantaceous　plants　was　noticeable　here　as　at　Obydos。　The　low…lying　areas　of　forest　or　Ygapos；　which　alternate　everywhere　with　the　more　elevated　districts；　did　not　furnish　the　same　luxuriant　vegetation　as　they　do　in　the　Delta　region　of　the　Amazons。　They　are　flooded　during　three　or　four　months　in　the　year；　and　when　the　waters　retire；　the　soilto　which　the　very　thin　coating　of　alluvial　deposit　imparts　little　fertility　remains　bare；　or　covered　with　a　matted　bed　of　dead　leaves　until　the　next　flood　season。　These　tracts　have　then　a　barren　appearance；　the　trunks　and　lower　branches　of　the　trees　are　coated　with　dried　slime；　and　disfigured　by　rounded　masses　of　fresh…water　sponges；　whose　long　horny　spiculae　and　dingy　colours　give　them　the　appearance　of　hedgehogs。

Dense　bushes　of　a　harsh；　cutting　grass；　called　Tiririca；　form　almost　the　only　fresh　vegetation　in　the　dry　season。　Perhaps　the　dense　shade；　the　long　period　during　which　the　land　remains　under　water；　and　the　excessively　rapid　desiccation　when　the　waters　retire；　all　contribute　to　the　barrenness　of　these　Ygapos。　The　higher　and　drier　land　is　everywhere　sandy；　and　tall　coarse　grasses　line　the　borders　of　the　broad　alleys　which　have　been　cut　through　the　second…growth　woods。　These　places　swarm　with　carapatos；　ugly　ticks　belonging　to　the　genus　Ixodes；　which　mount　to　the　tips　of　blades　of　grass；　and　attach　themselves　to　the　clothes　of　passers…by。　They　are　a　great　annoyance。　It　occupied　me　a　full　hour　daily　to　pick　them　off　my　flesh　after　my　diurnal　ramble。　There　are　two　species；　both　are　much　flattened　in　shape；　have　four　pairs　of　legs；　a　thick　short　proboscis　and　a　horny　integument。　Their　habit　is　to　attach　themselves　to　the　skin　by　plunging　their　proboscides　into　it；　and　then　suck　the　blood　until　their　flat　bodies　are　distended　into　a　globular　form。　The　whole　proceeding；　however；　is　very　slow；　and　it　takes　them　several　days　to　pump　their　fill。　No　pain　or　itching　is　felt；　but　serious　sores　are　caused　if　care　is　not　taken　in　removing　them；　as　the　proboscis　is　liable　to　break　off　and　remain　in　the　wound。　A　little　tobacco　juice　is　generally　applied　to　make　them　loosen　their　hold。　They　do　not　cling　firmly　to　the　skin　by　their　legs；　although　each　of　these　has　a　pair　of　sharp　and　fine　claws　connected　with　the　tips　of　the　member　by　means　of　a　flexible　pedicle。　When　they　mount　to　the　summits　of　slender　blades　of　grass；　or　the　tips　of　leaves；　they　hold　on　by　their　forelegs　only；　the　other　three　pairs　being　stretched　out　so　as　to　fasten　onto　any　animal　which　comes　their　way。　The　smaller　of　the　two　species　is　of　a　yellowish　colour；　it　is　the　most　abundant；　and　sometimes　falls　upon　one　by　scores。　When　distended；　it　is　about　the　size　of　a　No。　8　shot；　the　larger　kind；　which　fortunately　comes　only　singly　to　the　work；　swells　to　the　size　of　a　pea。

In　some　parts　of　the　interior；　the　soil　is　composed　of　very　coarse　sand　and　small　fragments　of　quartz；　in　these　places　no　trees　grow。　I　visited；　in　company　with　the　priest；　Padre　Torquato；　one　of　these　treeless　spaces　or　campos；　as　they　are　called；　situated　five　miles　from　the　village。　The　road　thither　led　through　a　varied　and　beautiful　forest；　containing　many　gigantic　trees。　I　missed　the　Assai；　Mirti；　Paxiuba；　and　other　palms　which　are　all　found　only　on　rich　moist　soils；　but　the　noble　Bacaba　was　not　uncommon；　and　there　was　a　great　diversity　of　dwarf　species　of　Maraja　palms　（Bactris）；　one　of　which；　called　the　Peuririma；　was　very　elegant；　growing　to　a　height　of　twelve　or　fifteen　feet；　with　a　stem　no　thicker　than　a　man's　finger。　On　arriving　at　the　campo；　all　this　beautiful　forest　abruptly　ceased；　and　we　saw　before　us　an　oval　tract　of　land　three　or　four　miles　in　circumference；　destitute　even　of　the　smallest　bush。　The　only　vegetation　was　a　crop　of　coarse　hairy　grass　growing　in　patches。　The　forest　formed　a　hedge　all　round　the　isolated　field；　and　its　borders　were　composed　in　great　part　of　trees　which　do　not　grow　in　the　dense　virgin　forest；　such　as　a　great　variety　of　bushy　Melastomas；　low　Byrsomina　trees；　myrtles；　and　Lacre…trees；　whose　berries　exude　globules　of　wax　resembling　gamboge。　On　the　margins　of　the　campo　wild　pineapples　also　grew　in　great　quantity。　The　fruit　was　of　the　same　shape　as　our　cultivated　kind；　but　much　smaller；　the　size　being　that　of　a　moderately　large　apple。　We　gathered　several　quite　ripe　ones；　they　were　pleasant　to　the　taste；　of　the　true　pineapple　flavour；　but　had　an　abundance　of　fully　developed　seeds；　and　only　a　small　quantity　of　eatable　pulp。　There　was　no　path　beyond　this　campo；　in　fact；　all　beyond　is　terra　incognita　to　the　inhabitants　of　Villa　Nova。

The　only　interesting　Mammalian　animal　which　I　saw　at　Villa　Nova　was　a　monkey　of　a　species　new　to　me；　it　was　not；　however；　a　native　of　the　district；　having　been　brought　by　a　trader　from　the　river　Madeira；　a　few　miles　above　Borba。　It　was　a　howler；　probably　the　Mycetes　stramineus　of　Geoffroy　St。　Hilaire。　The　howlers　are　the　only　kinds　of　monkey　which　the　natives　have　not　succeeded　in　taming。　They　are　often　caught；　but　they　do　not　survive　captivity　many　weeks。　The　one　of　which　I　am　speaking　was　not　quite　full　grown。　It　measured　sixteen　inches　in　length；　exclusive　of　the　tail　the　whole　body　was　covered　with　rather　long　and　shining　dingy…white　hair；　the　whiskers　and　beard　only　being　of　a　tawny　hue。　It　was　kept　in　a　house；　together　with　a　Coaita　and　a　Caiarara　monkey　（Cebus　albifrons）。　Both　these　lively　members　of　the　monkey　order　seemed　rather　to　court　attention；　but　the　Mycetes　slunk　away　when　anyone　approached　it。　When　it　first　arrived；　it　occasionally　made　a　gruff　subdued　howling　noise　early　in　the　morning。　The　deep　volume　of　sound　in　the　voice　of　the　howling　monkeys；　as　is　well　known；　is　produced　by　a　drum…shaped　expansion　of　the　larynx。　It　was　curious　to　watch　the　animal　while　venting　its　hollow　cavernous　roar；　and　observe　how　small　was　the　muscular　exertion　employed。　When　howlers　are　seen　in　the　forest；　there　are　generally　three　or　four　of　them　mounted　on　the　topmost　branches　of　a　tree。　It　does　not　appear　that　their　harrowing　roar　is　emitted　from　sudden　alarm；　at　least；　it　was　not　so　in　captive　individuals。　It　is　probable；　however；　that　the　noise　serves　to　intimidate　their　enemies。　I　did　not　meet　with　the　Mycetes　stramineus　in　any　other　part　of　the　Amazons　region；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Para　a　reddish…coloured　species　prevails　（M。　Belzebuth）；　in　the　narrow　channels　near　Breves　I　shot　a　large；　entirely　black　kind；　another　yellow…handed　species；　according　to　the　report　of　the　natives；　inhabits　the　island　of　Macajo；　which　is　probably　the　M。　flavimanus　of　Kuhl；　some　distance　up　the　Tapajos　the　only　howler　found　is　a　brownish…black　species；　and　on　the　Upper　Amazons；　the　sole　species　seen　was　the　Mycetes　ursinus；　whose　fur　is　of　a　shining　yellowish…red　colour。

In　the　dry　forests　of　Villa　Nova　I　saw　a　rattlesnake　for　the　first　time。　I　was　returning　home　one　day　through　a　narrow　alley；　when　I　heard　a　pattering　noise　close　to　me。　Hard　by　was　a　tall　palm　tree；　whose　head　was　heavily　weighted　with　parasitic　plants；　and　I　thought　the　noise　was　a　warning　that　it　was　about　to　fall。　The　wind　lulled　for　a　few　moments；　and　then　there　was　no　doubt　that　the　noise　proceeded　from　the　ground。　On　turning　my　head　in　that　direction；　a　sudden　plunge　startled　me；　and　a　heavy　gliding　motion　betrayed　a　large　serpent　making　off　almost　from　beneath　my　feet。　The　ground　is　always　so　encumbered　with　rotting　leaves　and　branches　that　one　only　discovers　snakes　when　they　are　in　the　act　of　moving　away。　The　residents　of　Villa　Nova　would　not　believe　that　I　had　seen　a　rattlesnake　in　their　neighbourhood；　in　fact；　it　is　not　known　to　occur　in　the　forests　at　all；　its　place　being　the　open　campos；　where；　near　Santarem；　I　killed　several。　On　my　second　visit　to　Villa　Nova　I　saw　another。　I　had　then　a　favourite　little　dog；　named　Diamante；　who　used　to　accompany　me　in　my　rambles。　One　day　he　rushed　into　the　thicket；　and　made　a　dead　set　at　a　large　snake；　whose　head　I　saw　raised　above　the　herbage。　The　foolish　little　brute　approached　quite　close；　and　then　the　serpent　reared　its　tail　slightly　in　a　horizontal　position　and　shook　its　terrible　rattle。　It　was　many　minutes　before　I　could　get　the　dog　away；　and　this　incident；　as　well　as　the　one　already　related；　shows　how　slow　the　reptile　is　to　make　the　fatal　spring。

I　was　much　annoyed；　and　at　the　same　time　amused；　with　the　Urubu　vultures。　The　Portuguese　call　them　corvos　or　crows；　in　colour　and　general　appearance　they　somewhat　resemble　rooks；　but　they　are　much　larger；　and　have　naked；　black；　wrinkled　skin　about　their　face　and　throat。　They　assemble　in　great　numbers　in　the　villages　about　the　end　of　the　wet　season；　and　are　then　ravenous　with　hunger。　My　cook　could　not　leave　the　kitchen　open　at　the　back　of　the　house　for　a　moment　while　the　dinner　was　cooking；　on　account　of　their　thievish　propensities。　Some　of　them　were　always　loitering　about；　watching　their　opportunity；　and　the　instant　the　kitchen　was　left　unguarded；　the　bold　marauders　marched　in　and　lifted　the　lids　off　the　saucepans　with　their　beaks　to　rob　them　of　their　contents。　The　boys　of　the　village　lie　in　wait；　and　sho