the naturalist on the river amazons-第6部分

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low　them　up。　This；　repeated　many　times；　at　last　seemed　to　intimidate　them；　for　we　were　free　from　their　visits　during　the　remainder　of　my　residence　at　the　place。　What　they　did　with　the　hard　dry　grains　of　mandioca　I　was　never　able　to　ascertain；　and　cannot　even　conjecture。　The　meal　contains　no　gluten；　and　therefore　would　be　useless　as　cement。　It　contains　only　a　smallrelative　portion　of　starch；　and；　when　mixed　with　water；　it　separates　and　falls　away　like　so　much　earthy　matter。　It　may　serve　as　food　for　the　subterranean　workers。　But　the　young　or　larvae　of　ants　are　usually　fed　by　juices　secreted　by　the　worker　nurses。

Ants；　it　is　scarcely　necessary　to　observe；　consist；　in　each　species；　of　three　sets　of　individuals；　Or；　as　some　express　it；　of　three　sexesnamely；　males；　females；　and　workers；　the　last…　mentioned　being　undeveloped　females。　The　perfect　sexes　are　winged　on　their　first　attaining　the　adult　state；　they　alone　propagate　their　kind；　flying　away；　previous　to　the　act　of　reproduction；　from　the　nest　in　which　they　have　been　reared。　This　winged　state　of　the　perfect　males　and　females；　and　the　habit　of　flying　abroad　before　pairing；　are　very　important　points　in　the　economy　of　ants；　for　they　are　thus　enabled　to　intercross　with　members　of　distant　colonies　which　swarm　at　the　same　time；　and　thereby　increase　the　vigour　of　the　race；　a　proceeding　essential　to　the　prosperity　of　any　species。　In　many　ants；　especially　those　of　tropical　climates；　the　workers；　again；　are　of　two　classes；　whose　structure　and　functions　are　widely　different。　In　some　species　they　are　wonderfully　unlike　each　other；　and　constitute　two　well…defined　forms　of　workers。　In　others；　there　is　a　gradation　of　individuals　between　the　two　extremes。　The　curious　differences　in　structure　and　habits　between　these　two　classes　form　an　interesting；　but　very　difficult；　study。　It　is　one　of　the　great　peculiarities　of　the　Sauba　ant　to　possess　three　classes　of　workers。　My　investigations　regarding　them　were　far　from　complete；　I　will　relate；　however；　what　I　have　observed　on　the　subject。

When　engaged　in　leaf…cutting；　plundering　farinha；　and　other　operations；　two　classes　of　workers　are　always　seen　（Figs。　1　and　2；　page　10）。　They　are　not；　it　is　true；　very　sharply　defined　in　structure；　for　individuals　of　intermediate　grades　occur。　All　the　work；　however；　is　done　by　the　individuals　which　have　small　heads　（Fig。　1）；　while　those　which　have　enormously　large　heads；　the　worker…majors　（Fig。　2）；　are　observed　to　be　simply　walking　about。　I　could　never　satisfy　myself　as　to　the　function　of　these　worker…　majors。　They　are　not　the　soldiers　or　defenders　of　the　working　portion　of　the　community；　like　the　armed　class　in　the　termites；　or　white　ants；　for　they　never　fight。　The　species　has　no　sting；　and　does　not　display　active　resistance　when　interfered　with。　I　once　imagined　they　exercised　a　sort　of　superintendence　over　the　others；　but　this　function　is　entirely　unnecessary　in　a　community　where　all　work　with　a　precision　and　regularity　resembling　the　subordinate　parts　of　a　piece　of　machinery。　I　came　to　the　conclusion；　at　last；　that　they　have　no　very　precisely　defined　function。　They　cannot；　however；　be　entirely　useless　to　the　community；　for　the　sustenance　of　an　idle　class　of　such　bulky　individuals　would　be　too　heavy　a　charge　for　the　species　to　sustain。　I　think　they　serve；　in　some　sort；　as　passive　instruments　of　protection　to　the　real　workers。　Their　enormously　large；　hard；　and　indestructible　heads　may　be　of　use　in　protecting　them　against　the　attacks　of　insectivorous　animals。　They　would　be；　on　this　view；　a　kind　of　〃pieces　de　resistance；〃　serving　as　a　foil　against　onslaughts　made　on　the　main　body　of　workers。

The　third　order　of　workers　is　the　most　curious　of　all。　If　the　top　of　a　small；　fresh　hillock；　one　in　which　the　thatching　process　is　going　on；　is　taken　off；　a　broad　cylindrical　shaft　is　disclosed　at　a　depth　of　about　two　feet　from　the　surface。　If　this　is　probed　with　a　stick；　which　may　be　done　to　the　extent　of　three　or　four　feet　without　touching　bottom；　a　small　number　of　colossal　fellows　（Fig。　3）　will　slowly　begin　to　make　their　way　up　the　smooth　sides　of　the　mine。　Their　heads　are　of　the　same　size　as　those　of　the　class　Fig。　2；　but　the　front　is　clothed　with　hairs；　instead　of　being　polished；　and　they　have　in　the　middle　of　the　forehead　a　twin；　ocellus；　or　simple　eye；　of　quite　different　structure　from　the　ordinary　compound　eyes；　on　the　sides　of　the　head。　This　frontal　eye　is　totally　wanting　in　the　other　workers；　and　is　not　known　in　any　other　kind　of　ant。　The　apparition　of　these　strange　creatures　from　the　cavernous　depths　of　the　mine　reminded　me；　when　I　first　observed　them；　of　the　Cyclopes　of　Homeric　fable。　They　were　not　very　pugnacious；　as　I　feared　they　would　be；　and　I　had　no　difficulty　in　securing　a　few　with　my　fingers。　I　never　saw　them　under　any　other　circumstances　than　those　here　related；　and　what　their　special　functions　may　be　I　cannot　divine。

The　whole　arrangement　of　a　Formicarium；　or　ant…colony；　and　all　the　varied　activity　of　ant…life；　are　directed　to　one　main　purposethe　perpetuation　and　dissemination　of　the　species。　Most　of　the　labour　which　we　see　performed　by　the　workers　has　for　its　end　the　sustenance　and　welfare　of　the　young　brood；　which　are　helpless　grubs。　The　true　females　are　incapable　of　attending　to　the　wants　of　their　offspring；　and　it　is　on　the　poor　sterile　workers；　who　are　denied　all　the　other　pleasures　of　maternity；　that　the　entire　care　devolves。　The　workers　are　also　the　chief　agents　in　carrying　out　the　different　migrations　of　the　colonies；　which　are　of　vast　importance　to　the　dispersal　and　consequent　prosperity　of　the　species。　The　successful　debut　of　the　winged　males　and　females　depends　likewise　on　the　workers。　It　is　amusing　to　see　the　activity　and　excitement　which　reigns　in　an　ant's　nest　when　the　exodus　of　the　winged　individuals　is　taking　place。　The　workers　clear　the　roads　of　exit；　and　show　the　most　lively　interest　in　their　departure；　although　it　is　highly　improbable　that　any　of　them　will　return　to　the　same　colony。　The　swarming　or　exodus　of　the　winged　males　and　females　of　the　Sauba　ant　takes　place　in　January　and　February；　that　is；　at　the　commencement　of　the　rainy　season。　They　come　out　in　the　evening　in　vast　numbers；　causing　quite　a　commotion　in　the　streets　and　lanes。　They　are　of　very　large　size；　the　female　measuring　no　less　than　two…and…a…　quarter　inches　in　expanse　of　wing；　the　male　is　not　much　more　than　half　this　size。　They　are　so　eagerly　preyed　upon　by　insectivorous　animals　that　on　the　morning　after　their　flight　not　an　individual　is　to　be　seen；　a　few　impregnated　females　alone　escaping　the　slaughter　to　found　new　colonies。

At　the　time　of　our　arrival；　Para　had　not　quite　recovered　from　the　effects　of　a　series　of　revolutions；　brought　about　by　the　hatred　which　existed　between　the　native　Brazilians　and　the　Portuguese；　the　former；　in　the　end；　calling　to　their　aid　the　Indian　and　mixed　coloured　population。　The　number　of　inhabitants　of　the　city　had　decreased；　in　consequence　of　these　disorders；　from　24；500　in　1819；　to　15；000　in　1848。　Although　the　public　peace　had　not　been　broken　for　twelve　years　before　the　date　of　our　visit；　confidence　was　not　yet　completely　restored；　and　the　Portuguese　merchants　and　tradesmen　would　not　trust　themselves　to　live　at　their　beautiful　country　houses　or　rocinhas；　which　lie　embosomed　in　the　luxuriant　shady　gardens　around　the　city。　No　progress　had　been　made　in　clearing　the　second…growth　forest　which　had　grown　over　the　once　cultivated　grounds；　and　now　reached　the　end　of　all　the　suburban　streets。　The　place　had　the　aspect　of　one　which　had　seen　better　days；　the　public　buildings；　including　the　palaces　of　the　President　and　Bishop；　the　cathedral；　the　principal　churches　and　convents；　all　seemed　constructed　on　a　scale　of　grandeur　far　beyond　the　present　requirements　of　the　city。　Streets　full　of　extensive　private　residences；　built　in　the　Italian　style　of　architecture；　were　in　a　neglected　condition；　weeds　and　flourishing　young　trees　growing　from　large　cracks　in　the　masonry。　The　large　public　squares　were　overgrown　with　weeds　and　impassable；　on　account　of　the　swampy　places　which　occupied　portions　of　their　areas。　Commerce；　however；　was　now　beginning　to　revive；　and　before　I　left　the　country　I　saw　great　improvements；　as　I　shall　have　to　relate　towards　the　conclusion　of　this　narrative。

The　province　of　which　Para　is　the　capital；　was　at　the　time　I　allude　to；　the　most　extensive　in　the　Brazilian　empire；　being　about　1560　miles　in　length　from　east　to　west；　and　about　600　in　breadth。　Since　that　datenamely　in　1853it　has　been　divided　into　two　by　the　separation　of　the　Upper　Amazons　as　a　distinct　province。　It　formerly　constituted　a　section；　capitania；　or　governorship　of　the　Portuguese　colony。　Originally　it　was　well　peopled　by　Indians；　varying　much　in　social　condition　according　to　their　tribe；　but　all　exhibiting　the　same　general　physical　characters；　which　are　those　of　the　American　red　man；　somewhat　modified　by　long　residence　in　an　equatorial　forest　country。

Most　of　the　tribes　are　now　extinct　or　forgotten；　at　least　those　which　originally　peopled　the　banks　of　the　main　river；　their　descendants　having　amalgamated　with　the　white　and　negro　immigrants。　＇The　mixed　breeds　which　now　form；　probably；　the　greater　part　of　the　population；　each　have　a　distinguishing　name。　Mameluco　denotes　the　offspring　of　White　with　Indian；　Mulatto；　that　of　White　with　Negro；　Cafuzo；　the　mixture　of　the　Indian　and　Negro；　Curiboco；　the　cross　between　the　Cafuzo　and　the　Indian；　Xibaro；　that　between　the　Cafuzo　and　Negro。　These　are　seldom；　however；　well…demarcated；　and　all　shades　of　colour　exist；　the　names　are　generally　applied　only　approximatively。　The　term　Creole　is　confined　to　negroes　born　in　the　country。　The　civilised　Indian　is　called　Tapuyo　or　Caboclo。＇　　　Many　still　exist；　however；　in　their　original　state　on　the　Upper　Amazons　and　most　of　the　branch　rivers。　On　this　account；　Indians　in　this　province　are　far　more　numerous　than　elsewhere　in　Brazil；　and　the　Indian　element　may　be　said　to　prevail　in　the　mongrel　population　the　negro　proportion　being　much　smaller　than　in　South　Brazil。

The　city　is　built　on　the　best　available　site　for　a　port　of　entry　to　the　Amazons　region；　and　must　in　time　become　a　vast　emporium；　the　northern　shore　of　the　main　river；　where　alone　a　rival　capital