| 393 | 394 | 395 | 396 | 397 |
| 1 | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 |
|
head. This most peculiar and extraordinary insect travels up both the
Rota and Ferriri trees, and entering into the top, eats its way,
perforating the trunk of the trees until it reaches the root, and dies,
or remains dormant, and the plant propagates out of its head; the body
remains perfect and entire, of a harder substance than when alive. From
this insect the natives make a coloring for tattooing.
(
*13) In mines and natural caves we find a species of cryptogamous
fungus that emits an intense phosphorescence.
(
(
*14) The orchis, scabius and valisneria.
*15) The corolla of this flower (Aristolochia Clematitis), which is
tubular, but terminating upwards in a ligulate limb, is inflated into a
globular figure at the base. The tubular part is internally beset with
stiff hairs, pointing downwards. The globular part contains the
pistil, which consists merely of a germen and stigma, together with the
surrounding stamens. But the stamens, being shorter than the germen,
cannot discharge the pollen so as to throw it upon the stigma, as the
flower stands always upright till after impregnation. And hence, without
some additional and peculiar aid, the pollen must necessarily fan down
to the bottom of the flower. Now, the aid that nature has furnished in
this case, is that of the Tiputa Pennicornis, a small insect, which
entering the tube of the corrolla in quest of honey, descends to the
395
Page
Quick Jump
|