A Natural History of the Globe; Of Man, of Beasts, Birds, Fishes, Reptiles, Insects, and Plants Volume 5 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1831 edition. Excerpt: ...of the slenderest twig; the tree at the same time flourishing, as if it had no such inmate. When we first found the tree, we gathered some of the branches, and were scarcely less astonished than we should have been to find that we had profaned a consecrated grove, where every tree upon being wounded gave signs of life; for we were instantly covered with legions of these animals, swarming from every broken bough, and inflicting their stings with incessant violence. " A third kind we found nested in the root of a plant which grows on the bark of trees in the manner of misle-toe, and which they had perforated for that use. This root is commonly as big as a large turnip, and sometimes much bigger. When we cut it, we found it intersected by innumerable winding passages, all filled with these animals, by which, however, the vegetation of the plant did not appear to have suffered any injury. We never cut one of these roots that was not inhabited, though some were not bigger than a hazel-nut. The animals themselves are red, and very small, not more than half as big as the common red Ant in England. They had stings, but scarcely force enough to make them felt: they had, however, power of tormenting us in an equal if not in a greater degree; for the moment we handled the root, they swarmed from innumerable holes; and, running about those parts of the body that were uncovered, produced a titillation more intolerable than pain, except it is increased to great violence." THE BEETLE. Of the Beetle there are various kinds; all, however, concurring in one common formation of having cases to their wings, which are the more necessary to those insects, as they often live under the surface of the earth, in holes which they dig out by their own industry....