Passing by a great mora stump in the clearing, our attention was attracted one day by a large caterpillar hanging dangling about two feet from the ground, squirming and wriggling vigorously. We ran up and saw a most interesting sight. Through a hole, about three quarters of an inch in diameter, protruded one of the claws of a good-sized scorpion. These villainous pincers had a secure grip on two of the long head spines of the caterpillar, which was dangling helplessly. As the latter wriggled, the scorpion made attempt after attempt to draw its victim inside the hole, a most absurd thing, as from tip to tip of spines the caterpillar measured almost two inches across. After watching this tableau I caught the scorpion’s claw in a pair of pliers, drew him out, and, Milady holding him up with the caterpillar, I photographed them together. The caterpillar was a most gorgeous creature; pale green, fading into yellowish at the posterior edge of each segment, while the movable joints were dark brown. On the seven posterior segments there were six rows of branched spines, the stalks pale orange and the branches pale blue—the three colors, green, orange and blue, making a most harmonious combination. On the anterior five segments there were two additional rows of spines, small ones, low down on the sides. The eight spines on the head segment pointed forward, projecting beyond the head. The longest spines were on the second, third and caudal segment and were over three quarters of an inch. All the blue branchlets ended in a dark, tiny needle point, and they stung like nettles as we found when we accidentally touched some. I had never heard of a contest between two such creatures, and should think the scorpion must have been hard put to it for food, to make frantic attempts to secure such a prickly mouthful. [Illustration: FIG. 127. SCORPION AND CATERPILLAR AFTER THEIR BATTLE.] South of the bungalow, scrubby bush had been allowed to grow up and here was a scattering of non-forest birds; three pairs of Silver-beak Tanagers[146] and a pair of Seed-eaters.[131] Gray-rumped Swifts[72] coursed over the clearing and Toucans, Macaws and Orange-headed Vultures[52] were occasionally seen from the bungalow, while a pair of splendid Red-crested Woodpeckers[88] hammered the trunks and leaped from tree to tree all through the day. In the clearing itself we saw little of mammalian life, although we dined daily on all the bush meat from bush-pig to acourie. The whitened bones of an ocelot lay in perfect arrangement at the edge of the clearing fifty yards from the bungalow, picked clean by ants but for some unaccountable reason untouched by Vultures. The animal had been shot at night, chicken stealing. At daybreak the red howlers came to the edge of the clearing and awakened us from our slumbers by their wonderfully weird chant.