the naturalist on the river amazons-第50部分

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ook　a　turn　round；　patting　the　sides　with　its　feet　inside　and　out　before　flying　off　to　gather　a　fresh　pellet。　It　worked　only　in　sunny　weather；　and　the　previous　layer　was　sometimes　not　quite　dry　when　the　new　coating　was　added。　The　whole　structure　takes　about　a　week　to　complete。　I　left　the　place　before　the　gay　little　builder　had　quite　finished　her　task；　she　did　not　accompany　the　canoe；　although　we　moved　along　the　bank　of　the　river　very　slowly。　On　opening　closed　nests　of　this　species；　which　are　common　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Mahica；　I　always　found　them　to　be　stocked　with　small　spiders　of　the　genus　Gastracantha；　in　the　usual　half…dead　state　to　which　the　mother　wasps　reduce　the　insects　which　are　to　serve　as　food　for　their　progeny。

Besides　the　Pelopaeus；　there　were　three　or　four　kinds　of　Trypoxylon；　a　genus　also　found　in　Europe；　and　which　some　naturalists　have　supposed　to　be　parasitic；　because　the　legs　are　not　furnished　with　the　usual　row　of　strong　bristles　for　digging；　characteristic　of　the　family　to　which　it　belongs。　The　species　of　Trypoxylon；　however；　are　all　building　wasps；　two　of　them　which　I　observed　（T。　albitarse　and　an　undescribed　species）　provision　their　nests　with　spiders；　a　third　（T。　aurifrons）　with　small　caterpillars。　Their　habits　are　similar　to　those　of　the　Pelopaeus…　…　namely；　they　carry　off　the　clay　in　their　mandibles；　and　have　a　different　song　when　they　hasten　away　with　the　burden　to　that　which　they　sing　whilst　at　work。　Trypoxylon　albitarse；　which　is　a　large　black　kind；　three…quarters　of　an　inch　in　length；　makes　a　tremendous　fuss　while　building　its　cell。　It　often　chooses　the　walls　or　doors　of　chambers　for　this　purpose；　and　when　two　or　three　are　at　work　in　the　same　place；　their　loud　humming　keeps　the　house　in　an　uproar。　The　cell　is　a　tubular　structure　about　three　inches　in　length。　T。　aurifrons；　a　much　smaller　species；　makes　a　neat　little　nest　shaped　like　a　carafe；　building　rows　of　them　together　in　the　corners　of　verandahs。

But　the　most　numerous　and　interesting　of　the　clay　artificers　are　the　workers　of　a　species　of　social　bee；　the　Melipona　fasciculata。　The　Meliponae　in　tropical　America　take　the　place　of　the　true　Apides；　to　which　the　European　hive…bee　belongs；　and　which　are　here　unknown；　they　are　generally　much　smaller　insects　than　the　hive…bees　and　have　no　sting。　The　M。　fasciculata　is　about　a　third　shorter　than　the　Apis　mellifica：　its　colonies　are　composed　of　an　immense　number　of　individuals；　the　workers　are　generally　seen　collecting　pollen　in　the　same　way　as　other　bees；　but　great　numbers　are　employed　gathering　clay。　The　rapidity　and　precision　of　their　movements　while　thus　engaged　are　wonderful。　They　first　scrape　the　clay　with　their　jaws；　the　small　portions　gathered　are　then　cleared　by　the　anterior　paws　and　passed　to　the　second　pair　of　feet；　which；　in　their　turn；　convey　them　to　the　large　foliated　expansions　of　the　hind　shanks　which　are　adapted　normally　in　bees；　as　every　one　knows；　for　the　collection　of　pollen。　The　middle　feet　pat　the　growing　pellets　of　mortar　on　the　hind　legs　to　keep　them　in　a　compact　shape　as　the　particles　are　successively　added。　The　little　hodsmen　soon　have　as　much　as　they　can　carry；　and　they　then　fly　off。　I　was　for　some　time　puzzled　to　know　what　the　bees　did　with　the　clay；　but　I　had　afterwards　plenty　of　opportunity　for　ascertaining。　They　construct　their　combs　in　any　suitable　crevice　in　trunks　of　trees　or　perpendicular　banks；　and　the　clay　is　required　to　build　up　a　wall　so　as　to　close　the　gap；　with　the　exception　of　a　small　orifice　for　their　own　entrance　and　exit。　Most　kinds　of　Meliponae　are　in　this　way　masons　as　well　as　workers　in　wax；　and　pollen…gatherers。　One　little　species　（undescribed）　not　more　than　two　lines　long；　builds　a　neat　tubular　gallery　of　clay；　kneaded　with　some　viscid　substance；　outside　the　entrance　to　its　hive；　besides　blocking　up　the　crevice　in　the　tree　within　which　it　is　situated。　The　mouth　of　the　tube　is　trumpet…shaped；　and　at　the　entrance　a　number　of　pigmy　bees　are　always　stationed；　apparently　acting　as　the　sentinels。

A　hive　of　the　Melipona　fasciculata；　which　I　saw　opened；　contained　about　two　quarts　of　pleasant…tasting　liquid　honey。　The　bees；　as　already　remarked；　have　no　sting；　but　they　bite　furiously　when　their　colonies　are　disturbed。　The　Indian　who　plundered　the　hive　was　completely　covered　by　them；　they　took　a　particular　fancy　to　the　hair　of　his　head；　and　fastened　on　it　by　hundreds。　I　found　forty…five　species　of　these　bees　in　different　parts　of　the　country；　the　largest　was　half　an　inch　in　length；　the　smallest　were　extremely　minute；　some　kinds　being　not　more　than　one…twelfth　of　an　inch　in　size。　These　tiny　fellows　are　often　very　troublesome　in　the　woods；　on　account　of　their　familiarity；　for　they　settle　on　one's　face　and　hands；　and；　in　crawling　about；　get　into　the　eyes　and　mouth；　or　up　the　nostrils。

The　broad　expansion　of　the　hind　shanks　of　bees　is　applied　in　some　species　to　other　uses　besides　the　conveyance　of　clay　and　pollen。　The　female　of　the　handsome　golden　and　black　Euglossa　Surinamensis　has　this　palette　of　very　large　size。　This　species　builds　its　solitary　nest　also　in　crevices　of　walls　or　trees　but　it　closes　up　the　chink　with　fragments　of　dried　leaves　and　sticks　cemented　together；　instead　of　clay。　It　visits　the　caju　trees；　and　gathers　with　its　hind　legs　a　small　quantity　of　the　gum　which　exudes　from　their　trunks。　To　this　it　adds　the　other　materials　required　from　the　neighbouring　bushes；　and　when　laden　flies　off　to　its　nest。

To　the　south　my　rambles　never　extended　further　than　the　banks　of　the　Irura；　a　stream　which　rises　amongst　the　hills　already　spoken　of；　and　running　through　a　broad　valley；　wooded　along　the　margins　of　the　watercourses；　falls　into　the　Tapajos；　at　the　head　of　the　bay　of　Mapiri。　All　beyond；　as　before　remarked；　is　terra　incognita　to　the　inhabitants　of　Santarem。　The　Brazilian　settlers　on　the　banks　of　the　Amazons　seem　to　have　no　taste　for　explorations　by　land；　and　I　could　find　no　person　willing　to　accompany　me　on　an　excursion　further　towards　the　interior。　Such　a　journey　would　be　exceedingly　difficult　in　this　country；　even　if　men　could　be　obtained　willing　to　undertake　it。　Besides；　there　were　reports　of　a　settlement　of　fierce　runaway　negroes　on　the　Serra　de　Mururaru；　and　it　was　considered　unsafe　to　go　far　in　that　direction；　except　with　a　large　armed　party。

I　visited　the　banks　of　the　Irura　and　the　rich　woods　accompanying　it；　and　two　other　streams　in　the　same　neighbourhood；　one　called　the　Panema；　and　the　other　the　Urumari；　once　or　twice　a　week　during　the　whole　time　of　my　residence　in　Santarem；　and　made　large　collections　of　their　natural　productions。　These　forest　brooks；　with　their　clear；　cold　waters　brawling　over　their　sandy　or　pebbly　beds　through　wild　tropical　glens；　always　had　a　great　charm　for　me。　The　beauty　of　the　moist；　cool；　and　luxuriant　glades　was　heightened　by　the　contrast　they　afforded　to　the　sterile　country　around　them。　The　bare　or　scantily　wooded　hills　which　surround　the　valley　are　parched　by　the　rays　of　the　vertical　sun。　One　of　them；　the　Pico　do　Irura；　forms　a　nearly　perfect　cone；　rising　from　a　small　grassy　plain　to　a　height　of　500　or　600　feet；　and　its　ascent　is　excessively　fatiguing　after　the　long　walk　from　Santarem　over　the　campos。　I　tried　it　one　day；　but　did　not　reach　the　summit。　A　dense　growth　of　coarse　grasses　clothed　the　steep　sides　of　the　hill；　with　here　and　there　a　stunted　tree　of　kinds　found　in　the　plain　beneath。　In　bared　places；　a　red　crumbly　soil　is　exposed；　and　in　one　part　a　mass　of　rock；　which　appeared　to　me；　from　its　compact　texture　and　the　absence　of　stratification；　to　be　porphyritic；　but　I　am　not　geologically　sufficient　to　pronounce　on　such　questions。　Mr。　Wallace　states　that　he　found　fragments　of　scoriae；　and　believes　the　hill　to　be　a　volcanic　cone。　To　the　south　and　east　of　this　isolated　peak；　the　elongated　ridges　or　table…topped　hills　attain　a　somewhat　greater　elevation。

The　forest　in　the　valley　is　limited　to　a　tract　a　few　hundred　yards　in　width　on　each　side　the　different　streams；　in　places　where　these　run　along　the　bases　of　the　hills；　the　hillsides　facing　the　water　are　also　richly　wooded；　although　their　opposite　declivities　are　bare　or　nearly　so。　The　trees　are　lofty　and　of　great　variety；　amongst　them　are　colossal　examples　of　the　Brazil　nut　tree　（Bertholletia　excelsa）；　and　the　Pikia。　This　latter　bears　a　large　eatable　fruit；　curious　in　having　a　hollow　chamber　between　the　pulp　and　the　kernel；　beset　with　hard　spines　which　produce　serious　wounds　if　they　enter　the　skin。　The　eatable　part　appeared　to　me　not　much　more　palatable　than　a　raw　potato；　but　the　inhabitants　of　Santarem　are　very　fond　of　it；　and　undertake　the　most　toilsome　journeys　on　foot　to　gather　a　basketful。　The　tree　which　yields　the　tonka　bean　（Dipteryx　odorata）；　used　in　Europe　for　scenting　snuff；　is　also　of　frequent　occurrence　here。　It　grows　to　an　immense　height；　and　the　fruit；　which；　although　a　legume；　is　of　a　rounded　shape；　and　has　but　one　seed；　can　be　gathered　only　when　it　falls　to　the　ground。　A　considerable　quantity　（from　1000　to　3000　pounds）　is　exported　annually　from　Santarem；　the　produce　of　the　whole　region　of　the　Tapajos。　An　endless　diversity　of　trees　and　shrubs；　some　beautiful　in　flower　and　foliage；　others　bearing　curious　fruits；　grow　in　this　matted　wilderness。　It　would　be　tedious　to　enumerate　many　of　them。　I　was　much　struck　with　the　variety　of　trees　with　large　and　diversely…shaped　fruits　growing　out　of　the　trunk　and　branches；　some　within　a　few　inches　of　the　ground；　like　the　cacao。　Most　of　them　are　called　by　the　natives　Cupu；　and　the　trees　are　of　inconsiderable　height。　One　of　them　called　Cupu…ai　bears　a　fruit　of　elliptical　shape　and　of　a　dingy　earthen　colour　six　or　seven　inches　long；　the　shell　of　which　is　woody　and　thin；　and　contains　a　small　number　of　seeds　loosely　enveloped　in　a　juicy　pulp　of　very　pleasant　flavour。　The　fruits　hang　like　clayey　ants'…nests　from　the　branches。　Another　kind　more　nearly　resembles　the　cacao；　this　is　shaped　something　like　the　cucumber；　and　has　a　green　ribbed　husk。　It　bears　the　name　of　Cacao　de　macaco；　or　monkey's　chocolate；　but　the　seeds　are　smaller　than　those　of　the　common　cacao。　I　tried　once　or　twice　to　make　chocolate　from　them。　They　contain　plenty　of　oil　of　similar　fragrance　to　that　of　the　ordinary　cacao…nut；　and　make　up　very　well　into　paste；　but