The History of the Island of Dominica: Containing a Description of Its Situation, Extent, Climate, Mountains, Rivers, Natural Productions, &c. &c. — John Shaqi
The History of the Island of Dominica: Containing a Description of Its Situation, Extent, Climate, Mountains, Rivers, Natural Productions, &c. &c.Atwood, Thomas
History
The History of the Island of Dominica: Containing a Description of Its Situation, Extent, Climate, Mountains, Rivers, Natural Productions, &c. &c.
Atwood, Thomas
Black people -- Dominica; Dominica -- Description and travel; Dominica -- History; Natural history -- Dominica; Slavery -- Dominica
The free-mason fly is exactly of the shape, size, and colour of a
wasp, and builds its nest of mud, in the shape of organ barrels. It
is curious to see these little creatures at work, they shew so much
art and industry, some of them fetching the mud in their mouths,
while others are forming their small cones, or filling them up when
finished with numbers of various-coloured small spiders, which they
also bring in their mouths, for food to their young when hatched.
That which is further remarkable of these flies is, that it appears
they qualify the spiders, by some means, for remaining a long time
in as perfect a state as the first day they were immured in their
cells; I have seen spiders, so immured for several weeks, as whole
and perfect in size, shape, and colour, as when alive.
There is another species of these flies, called galley wasps,
which is double the size and of a bright light-blue colour. These
have very long stings, which are plainly to be seen when they are
flying, with which they wound very severely, causing the blood to
spout out, as from the prick of a lancet.
The sting of these flies is very painful, and persons have been
thrown into fevers by being stung severely by them; but they are
seldom offensive, unless disturbed.
The wood-horse, called by the negroes the fairy-horse, is a very
singular insect. Its head is like that of a grasshopper, it
has two horns, considerably longer than its own body, which is
about three inches, and of one continued thickness, like a large
caterpillar. It has six legs, which are raised and doubled above
its body, like the springing legs of a grasshopper, but they have
not the same power, serving it only to walk with, which it does
very fast. It has no wings, is of a deep green colour, and is
perfectly harmless.
The vegetable fly is a remarkable insect. It is of the appearance
and size of a small cockchafer, and buries itself in the ground,
where it dies, and from its body springs up a small plant, which
resembles a coffee-tree plant, only its leaves are much smaller.
The plant which springs from this insect is often overlooked,
from the supposition people have of its being no other than a
coffee plant; but on examining it properly, the difference is
easily distinguished, from the head, body, and feet of the insect
appearing at the root, as perfect as when alive.
In the woods of Dominica are vast swarms of bees, which hive in the
trees, and produce great quantities of wax and honey; both of which
are equal in goodness to any of those articles to be had in Europe.
The musquitoes and sand flies are not so numerous, or so
troublesome in this country, as they are in most parts of the West
Indies, owing to there being but few spots of stagnated water,
which breeds them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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