The Naturalist in Nicaragua: A Narrative of a Residence at the Gold Mines of ... - Thomas Belt - Google Books

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CONTENTS.

Arrival at Greytown- The River San Juan-Silting up of the Harbour

-Crossing the Bar-Lives lost on it-Sharks-Christopher Colum-

bus-Appearance of the Town-Trade-Healthiness of the Town

and its probable cause - Comparison between Greytown, Pernam-

buco, and Maceio-Wild Fruits-Plants--Parrots, Toucans, and

Tanagers-Butterflies and Beetles-Mimetic Forms—Alligators :

Boy drowned at Blewfields by one—Their method of catching

Wild Pigs . . . . . . . . . .

Commence Journey up San Juan River-Palms and Wild Canes-Plan-

tations—The Colorado River - Proposed Improvement of the

River--- Progress of the Delta-Mosquitoes—Disagreeable Night

- Fine Morning-Vegetation of the Banks-Seripiqui River-

Mot-mots — Foraging Ants: their method of Hunting-Ant-

Thrushes—They attack the Nests of other Ants-Birds' Nests,

how preserved from them—Reasoning powers in Ants-Parallel

between the Mammalia and the Hymenoptera-Utopia . .

Journey up River continued — Wild Pigs and Jaguar-Bungos-Reach

Machuca-Castillo-Capture of Castillo by Nelson-India-rubber

Trade-Rubber-men-Method of making India-rubber-Congo

Monkeys-Macaws—The Savallo River, Endurauce of the Boat-

men-San Carlos—Interoceanic Canal - Advantages of the Nica-

raguan Route-The Rio Frio-Stories about the Wild Indians-

Indian Captive Children-Expeditions up the Rio Frio-Ame-

rican River Steamboats . . . . . . . . 37

The Lake of Nicaragua--Ometepec - Becalmed on the Lake-- White

Cygnets-Reach San Ubaldo-Ride across the Plains— Vegetation

of the Plains-Armadillo Savannahs --Jicara Trees-Jicara Bowls

- Origin of Gourd-shaped Pottery - Coyotes - Mule-breeding

-Reach Acoyapo-Festa-Cross High Range- Esquipula—The

Rio Mico-Supposed Statues on its Banks--Pital—-Cultivation of

Maize--Its use from the earliest times in America-Separation of

the Maize-eating from the Mandioca-eating Indigenes of America

-Tortillas--Sugar-making-Enter the Forest of the Atlantic

Slope-Vegetation of the Forest — Muddy Roads- Arrive at Santo

Domingo . . . . . . . . . . 43

Geographical position of Santo Domingo-Physical Geography, The

Inhabitants-Mixed Races-Negroes and Indians compared-

Women-Establishment of the Chontales Gold Mining Company

-My House and Garden-Fruits-Plantains and Bananas : pro-

bably not indigenous to America : propagated from Shoots : do

not generally mature their Seeds – Fig-trees-Granadillas and

Papaws-Vegetables — Dependence of Flowers on Insects for their

Fertilization-Insect Plagues - Leaf-cutting Ants : their method

of defoliating Trees : their Nests--Some Trees are not touched

by the Ants – Foreign Trees are very subject to their attack-

Method of Destroying the Ants-Migration of the Ants from a

Nest attacked-Corrosive Sublimate causes a sort of Madness

amongst them-Indian plan of preventing their ascending young

Trees- Leaf-cutting Ants are fungus-growers and eaters-

Sagacity of the Ants . . . . . . . 61

• CHAPTER VI.

Configuration of the Ground at Santo Domingo-Excavation of Valleys

-Geology of the District-Decomposition of the Rocks-Gold-

mining-Aurifervus Quartz Veins - Mode of occurrence of the

Gold-Lodes richer next the surface than at lower depths-Ex-

cavation and Reduction of the Ore-Extraction of the Gold-

“ Mantos "-Origin of Mineral Veins : their connection with

intrusions of Plutonic Rocks . . . . . . . 85

Climate of the north-eastern side of Nicaragua–Excursions around

Santo Domingo - The Artigua – Corruption of Ancient Names-

Butterflies, Spiders, and Wasps-Humming-birds, Beetles, and

Ants-Plants and Trees--Timber—Monkey attacked by Eagle

-White-faced Monkey-Anecdotes of a tame one-Curassows

and other game Birds-Trogons, Woodpeckers, Mot-mots, and

Toucans . . . . . . . . . . 103

Description of San Antonio Valley-Great variety of animal life-

Pitcher-flowered Marcgravias—Flowers fertilized by Humming-

birds, By Insects - Provision in some flowers to prevent insects,

not adapted for carrying the pollen, from obtaining access to the

nectaries- Stories about Wasps - Humming-birds bathing - Nest

of Myriapods-Ascent of Peña Blanca — Tapirs and Jaguars -

Summit of Peña Blanca . . . . . . 126

Journey to Juigalpa-Description of Libertad—The Priest and the

Bell-Migratory Butterflies and Moths--Indian Graves --Ancient

Names-Dry River-beds-Monkeys and Wasps-Reach Juigalpa

-Ride in neighbourhood-Abundance of small birds--A Poor

Cripple — The “Toledo” – Trogons — Waterfall - Sepulchral

Mounds-Broken Statues — The Sign of the Cross-Contrast

between the ancient and the present Inhabitants—Night Life 150

Juigalpa—A Nicaraguan Family—Description of the Road from Jui-

galpa to Santo Domingo—Comparative scarcity of Insects in Nica-

ragua in 1872—Water-bearing Plants—Insect-traps- The south-

western edge of the Forest Region-Influence of Cultivation upon

it-Sagacity of the Mule · · · ·

Start on journey to Segovia—Rocky Mountain Road- A Poor Lodging

– The Rock of Cuapo—The use of large beaks in some Birds-

Comoapa- A Native Doctor-Vultures-Flight of Birds that Soar

- Natives live from generation to generation on the same spot-

Do not give distinctive Names to the Rivers-Caribs barter Guns

and Iron-pots for Dogs—The Hairless Dogs of Tropical America-

Difference between Artificial and Natural Selection - The cause of

Sterility between Allied Species considered–The disadvantages

of a covering of hair in a domesticated animal in a Tropical

Country . . . . . . . . . . 191

Olama – The “Sanate"-Muymuy-Idleness of the People—Moun-

tain Road— The “Bull Rock”—The Bull's-horn Thorn-Ants

kept as Standing Armies by some Plants—Use of Honey-secreting

Glands-Plant-lice, Scale-insects, and Leaf-hoppers furnish Ants

with Honey, and in return are protected by the latter-Contest

between Wasps and Ants— Waxy Secretions of the Homopterous

Hemiptera . . . . . . . . . . 212

Matagalpa-Aguardiente-Fermented Liquors of the Indians-The

Wine Palm— Idleness of the Nicaraguans - Pine and Oak

Forests— Mountain Gorge-Jinotega— Native Plough- Descend-

ants of the Buccaneers—San Rafael- A Mountain Hut . . 231

Great Range composed of Boulder Clay—Daraily–Lost on the Savan-

nahs — Jamaily - A Deer-hunter's Family - Totagalpa — Walls

covered with Cement and Whitewashed-Ocotal—The Valley of

Depilto—Silver Mine-Geology of the Valley -Glacial Drift-

The Glacial Period in Central America-Evidence that the Ice

extended to the Tropics-Scarcity of Gold in the Valley Gravels

-Difference of the Mollusca on the East and West Coast of the

Isthmus of Darien—The Refuge of the Tropical American Animals

and Plants during the Glacial Period— The Lowering of the Sea

Level--The Land Shells of the West Indian Islands- The Malay

Archipelago - Easter Island-Atlantis- Traditions of the Deluge. 247

A Nicaraguan Criminal-Geology between Ocotal and Totagalpa - Pre-

parations at Totagalpa for their Annual Festival-Chica-drinking

- Piety of the Indians - Ancient Civilization of Tropical America

-Palacaguina -Hospitality of the Mestizos—Curious Custom at

the Festival at Condego-Cross Range between Segovia and Mata-

galpa-Sontuli-Birds' Nests . . . . . . . 275

Concordia—Jinotega-Indian Habits retained by the People - Indian

Names of Towns-Security of Travellers in Nicaragua-Native

Flour-milk-Uncomfortable Lodgings—Tierrabona–Dust Whirl-

wind-Initial form of a Cyclone-The origin of Cyclones. . 292

Cattle-raising-Don Filiberto Trano's new House-Horse-flies and

Wasps-Teustepe-Spider imitating Ants-Mimetic Species —

Animals with special means of defence are conspicuously marked,

or in other ways attract attention ---Accident to Horse— The

Mygale-Illness-Conclusion of Journey . . . . . 308

Division of Nicaragua into three Zones-Journey from Juigalpa to

Lake of Nicaragua—Voyage on Lake-Fresh-water Shells and

Insects—Similarity of Fresh-water productions all over the World

- Distribution of European Land and Fresh-water Shells-Dis-

cussion of the reasons why Fresh-water productions have varied

less than those of the Land and of the Sca. . .

Iguanas and Lizards-Granada–Politics- Revolutions—Cacao Culti-

vation — Masaya – The Lake of Masaya—The Volcano of Masaya

-Origin of the Lake Basin . . . . . . . 338

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