Zoology: Orb-fish--Echinus, known to the ancients--Hippocampus
--Trumpet-fish--Toad-fish--Sea-blubber, and galley-fish--
Sea-polypus--Cat-fish--Crabs, oysters, &c.--Turtle--Land-crab--
Soldier-crab--Lizards--Guana--Wood-slave--Scorpions--Centipede
--Snakes--Tarantula--Cockroach--Caterpillars and butterflies--
Ants--Bats--Aquatic birds--Land birds--Humming bird--Anecdote.
Among the _curiosities_ found about the shores of Antigua, are,
first, the orb-fish, sea-porcupine, or _orbus-major,_ as it is
severally called. This fish varies from seven inches, to two feet
in length; it has no scales, but is armed with sharp spines,
measuring from one to three inches in length, which it can erect
at pleasure--the longest of these spines are placed behind the
eyes, the shortest beneath the body. The mouth is shaped like a
frog; the eyes are round and prominent, and behind them rises two
strong, circular-shaped fins, which it uses with great agility
when swimming. The anal and posterior fins are large and curved;
and the tail strong and well adapted for making way through the
waters. In the middle of the stomach is a bladder filled with
air, by the aid of which it can inflate itself at pleasure, until
it presents the figure of a complete sphere. The meat of the
orbus is said to be excellent, with exception of the head, which
is always thrown away; it is dressed in the same manner as
turtle. When alive, it is a dangerous and formidable enemy in its
native element, as it is not blessed with a very amiable temper.
And when stuffed, it is an object of great curiosity, and well
worthy of a place in a museum. The _echinus,_ or sea-urchin, is
another species of the class and order _vermes, mollusca_. It
does not attain the size of the orbus major, being seldom found
more than five inches in length, but it is covered with sharp
prickles, and can equally inflate itself when angry. The flesh is
eaten with oil, vinegar, and pepper; and in flavour resembles the
lobster. This fish was known to the ancients, who esteemed it a
royal fare, when dressed with mead, parsley, turmeric, and mint.
The trumpet-fish, or _fistularia,_ is a genus of the order of
_abdominales_. It measures about 18 inches in length. The snout
is cylindrical, like a trumpet, from whence its name; the jaws
are at some distance from the eyes, which are very bright, and
the body tapering to the tail. Its principal food is small fish
and marine worms.
The hippocampus, or sea-horse, is another surprising little
animal, never exceeding in length nine inches, and about the
thickness of the little finger. The formation of the head is very
much like that of a horse--from whence its familiar name--the
snout is a kind of tube, with a hole at the end, which it can
open or shut at pleasure. The eyes are bright and jut from the
head; behind them are two fins, of the shape and appearance of a
horse's ears, and above them two orifices for respiration,
through which it can spout up the water in a similar manner to
the whale. Down the back runs a line of short, stiff hairs, like
the mane of a horse, which falls off when the animal is dead; and
the whole body is composed of rings with intermediate prickles.
It belongs to the _cartilaginei_ order. The ancients considered
it extremely venomous, even to the slightest touch, but like many
other assertions, it is ill-founded, for I have handled many of
them and received no hurt. Some of the hippocampus are of a dull
chesnut colour, others of a dark grey; when swimming, they
compress their tails, and raise themselves with an undulating
motion, which gives them the appearance of a miniature horse
cantering.
The toad-fish is another curious little denizen of the deep, of
the same dusky hue as the toad--from whence its name. When gently
rubbed with the finger, it inflates itself into the form of a
ball; and if pressed while in this state, bursts with a sharp
report. It is eaten by many of the negroes, who are not famed for
the delicacy of their palates, although the flesh is very rank.
The sea-blubber and galley-fish are other varieties of the
_mollusca_ class. They float like a jelly upon the surface of the
sea, near its margin; and are dangerous to fishermen, and those
persons who are in the habit of going into shallow water without
shoes, wounding the feet sorely. If trodden upon, they explode
with a loud noise, like an inflated bladder. These sea-nettles,
(so called from the stinging pain they occasion if touched,) like
the rest of their tribe, feed upon minute shell-fish and
sea-insects. They are viviparous.
The sea-polypus also inhabit these seas. These wondrous phenomena
of nature belong to the genus _hydra,_ class _vermes,_ order
_zoophyte;_ the distinguishing character of which is, that if any
part of the body be severed, it instantly becomes a perfect
animal. For example, if a polypus be cut transversely into two or
three pieces, each portion becomes a regular animal, and a new
polypus will also be produced from the skin of the old one. If
any of the young polypi be mutilated while growing upon the body
of the parent, the parts cut off will immediately grow again; and
even if the polypus be dispossessed of its extremities, it will
produce young ones before it has attained head or tail. The
sea-anemone is very beautiful when alive. It is of a most lovely
purple, and throws out its numerous feelers like radii from the
centre; these feelers it can contract or expand at pleasure. They
feed, like the rest of their species, upon small marine worms,
insects, and shell-fish, which they have the power of rendering
motionless, (after being entrapped in their long fibrous arms,)
by means of a gluey liquid which oozes out of their bodies.
The _chætodon,_ or cat-fish, is another inhabitant of the
Caribbean. It is one of the most voracious of its tribe, preying
indiscriminately upon all who approach it, and who it is enabled,
by stratagem or open warfare, to overcome. The body is oblong,
the head small, and the teeth slender, but extremely sharp, and
bending inwards. The fins of the back are scaly, and the
gill-membrane six-rayed.
Among the shell-fish are lobsters, (some of which attain to an
immense size,) several kinds of crabs,[68] oysters, (which
generally adhere to the mangrove trees,) conchs, whelks, cockles,
star-fish, sea-eggs, and smaller multivalves and bivalves. This
part of the ocean is also very prolific in marine plants, (some
of which, as "sea-feathers," "sea-fans," &c., are very
beautiful,) and corals of several shapes and kinds; the latter
substance is principally used for burning lime. The brain-stone
is also frequently found, as well as many other curiosities,
which are purchased from the negro divers and sent to England, as
presents, but which I must pass over with this brief notice.
The _testudo Mydas,_ or sea-turtle, frequent the bays of Antigua.
The female is so very prolific, that she sometimes lays 1000
eggs, which are hatched by the sun, in about 25 days. The merits
of this amphibious animal are too well known to descant upon. The
shell[69] is very hard and strong, and it will carry as much as
700 or 800 lbs. upon its back. One was captured in these seas, a
few years ago which measured six feet across the back, and the
shell formed a good boat for a boy to sail about the harbour in.
In Cuba, they attain a great size, and have been known to walk
off with five or six men standing upon them. A full-grown turtle
has often attained the weight of 500 lbs. There are none of this
race of giants at Antigua; those caught upon her shores are of
smaller dimensions, although of rich flavour.
The _cancer ruricola,_ or land-crab, is another inhabitant of
Antigua well worthy of note. They live in clefts of rocks, hollow
trees, or deep holes which they dig for themselves in the earth,
and are much esteemed by Creoles for the sweetness of their meat.
Once in the year they march down from their mountain dwellings to
the sea-shore in immense numbers, for the purpose of casting
their spawn. Before starting upon these expeditions, the whole
body meet in "conclave grave," when leaders are chosen, the route
agreed upon, and the whole company divided into three battalions.
The strongest males most gallantly take the lead in order to face
any foe, as well as to act as pioneers; they are followed a short
time afterwards by a battalion of females, and the rear is
brought up by a medley group of stragglers of all ages and sex.
They travel by night, and, as far as possible, keep as straight a
line to the sea-side as if they were going by rail-road, only
that they neither cut through hills, nor fill up dingles, but
march over every impediment with the greatest nonchalance. While
upon their travels, they commonly march with their long nippers
held aloft, and which now and then they clatter together, as if
in defiance of any one they may meet; and if assaulted, they will
grasp their assailants so firmly by them, that very frequently
they leave such members behind them. They have something of the
_ogre_ about their disposition, for if one of their companions
meet with an accident which prevents it travelling as fast as the
rest, the others immediately fall upon and devour it, without any
compunctive feelings.
As soon as they reach the sea-side, the females prepare to cast
their spawn upon the surface of the sea, leaving it to chance to
bring it to perfection. The females are very prolific; but it is
supposed two-thirds of their eggs fall a prey to the numerous
shoal of fish, which are apparently hovering about, waiting for
their expected treat. After remaining for some time by the
sea-side, they prepare to return to their mountain homes; but
many of them are fatigued by their long journey, and dig holes
about the adjacent parts of the country, where they remain until
they again become strong and fat. It is during these annual
peregrinations that the negroes employ themselves in
crab-catching; which exploit they perform at night by aid of a
torch, when the crabs come out of their holes to feed. Land-crabs
cast their shells annually, and at such periods remain closely
concealed in their holes, almost without motion and without food,
for about the space of six or eight days, during which time the
new shell hardens. They vary in size and colour, some being of a
deep coal black, others of a light yellow, and some streaked in
red and yellow. Their favourite resorts are the burial-grounds,
upon which account many persons have a great antipathy to them as
an article of food.
The soldier-crab is a curious little animal, totally unprovided
by nature with any shell, so that in order to protect its
delicate body from the attack of its enemies, it is obliged to
look out for the vacated covering of some shell-fish in which to
take up its abode. As the "soldier" increases in bulk, it changes
its habitation, and sometimes, for want of a better dwelling, is
fain to content itself with the cast-off claw of a lobster or a
defunct crab. Although of small size, they are extremely
quarrelsome, and their combats for a favourite shell are very
terrific, and often end fatally to one of the party; upon which
event, the conqueror immediately takes possession of the
fought-for dwelling, and to put an end to the affair, makes his
dinner off the body of his enemy.
Lizards abound in Antigua; from every fence, from every tree--
from the copsewood thicket and the wavy cane-field--you may see
their bright little eyes peeping at you. There are about eighty
species of this tribe found in different parts of the world,
included under the name _lacertæ;_ those commonly found in
Antigua are the _agilis,_ or common tree lizard, the ground
lizard, and the guana, or iguana. The common lizard is of a
bright green colour, with the head and feet of an ashy hue; there
are some, however, of a dirty olive brown, with the feet and tail
approaching to black. Like the chameleon, they have the power of
changing their colour; and when angry, they swell out the skin of
the thorax into a kind of pouch, inflating and contracting it
with a clock-like motion. Their tails, of the extreme length of
their bodies, are verticillated, and armed with sharp scales;
their snouts are long and pointed, and their jaws furnished with
numerous small and sharp teeth. They feed upon insects and young
buds, and are particularly quarrelsome among themselves, often
losing the greater part of their tails in their combats. The
lizard is very susceptible of melody, and will remain couched
upon a tree for a long time together, listening to the soft
strains of a flute or piano, or the sound of the human voice.
They are also capable of being tamed, and will frequent the spot
where they have once been fed with bread crumbs. The lizard is
oviparous, and deposits its eggs (which are white, of the shape
of a hen's egg, and about the size of a small kidney bean) in
holes in the ground near the roots of trees, or even in the ashes
by the fire-hearth.
The ground-lizard is considerably larger than the tree-lizard. It
is of a greenish brown hue, with a blood-red stripe running
longitudinally down each side. The head, ending in a pointed
snout, is also of the same colour, which gives the animal
altogether a disgusting appearance. The mouth is armed with an
infinite number of sharp, slender teeth, the bite from which is
supposed to be very venomous on account of their often leaving
such weapons in the wound they have inflicted. The negroes have a
superstitious notion, that as soon as this reptile has bitten any
one it immediately makes the best of its way to the sea-side, and
as the only means of preventing any ill-consequences to itself,
bathes in the water, and the wounded person receives the
punishment in the shape of leprosy. If, on the contrary, the
individual bitten can reach the sea and perform the ablution
necessary, before the lizard has time to gain that spot, the
reptile pays the penalty, falling a prey to the effects of its
own venom. The tail of the ground-lizard is of extreme length,
and trails along the ground, giving the creature, when walking, a
kind of snake-like motion; when, however, it is attacked by a
dog, or frightened by the sound of approaching footsteps, it
throws this unwieldy member over its back, and starts away with
the greatest activity. The ground-lizard lives in deep holes,
which it burrows in the ground, (from whence its name;) its food
is the young herbage, fruit, vegetables, or anything of the kind
that falls in its way; it holds its prey firmly with its
fore-feet, while it tears it to pieces with its teeth, and then
swallows it with much apparent _gusto,_ putting out its long
slender red tongue, in the manner of a dog. I have often fed a
ground-lizard with the fruit of the soursop, for the purpose of
watching its movements; and if a piece of its favourite fare was
delayed for a little longer than it deemed necessary, it would
turn up its bright round eyes upon me, as if asking why I balked
its appetite. Ground-lizards are also extremely choleric, and
will fight with their own species for an hour together. The mode
of warfare is to spring forwards, grapple each other with their
fore-paws, throw their long tails around each other's body, and
in this situation roll over and over in the dust, until one of
them acknowledges itself conquered by striving to retire.
The iguana, or guana, sometimes attains the length of from four
or five feet, measuring from the point of the snout to the
extremity of the tail; its usual size, however, is from three to
four feet. It is of a deep emerald green, with the upper part of
the head, the feet, tail, and legs, of a dull ash colour. Along
the summit of the back and tail runs a deeply serrated membrane,
almost like the fin of some fish; the head is surmounted by a
kind of crown, or crest, from which circumstance it has obtained
the name of "king of the lizards;" and underneath its jaws hangs
a kind of comb, which it can inflate when angry or excited. Like
all the _lacerta_ tribe, its mouth is well furnished with teeth,
with which, when exasperated, it inflicts deep wounds; but, in
general, it is a quiet and inoffensive animal, feeding in its
wild state upon leaves of trees, vegetables, insects, or, when it
can procure them, young birds. It climbs with agility, and will
spring from one branch of a tree to the other, like a squirrel.
The flesh is said to be excellent, rivalling in delicacy that of
a chicken. It is eaten in the French islands as a great luxury;
but from its outward appearance, few strangers would be led to
partake of it, unless deceived by its form of cookery.[70]
The wood-slave is about the same size as the common tree-lizard,
but with a shorter tail. The bite is said to be extremely
venomous, as also the wound inflicted by its sharp claw, which
ends in a kind of nipper, and with which it adheres to the part
with such tenacity, that no power but that of a knife will
extricate it. In colour it approaches a toad; its haunts are amid
old timber or old dwellings, from whence it attains its name of
wood-slave.
Scorpions are another formidable foe. They are well equipped for
battle, having eight legs, besides two shorter ones fixed on the
fore-part of the head, and answering for hands, with which they
hold their prey; eight eyes, three upon each side of the head,
and two on the back; two feelers, and a long tail, terminated by
a curved sting, underneath which are two instruments resembling a
comb. The poison is contained in a small reservoir, and is
evacuated through two oblong orifices at the top of the sting, at
the moment of the wound being given. The effects are extremely
painful, producing a burning heat, which, if not alleviated,
produces fever. If encaged, and it can discover no means of
escape, the scorpion stings itself to death, rather than remain
in captivity. The body of the parent scorpion becomes the nest of
the young ones, which remain sticking and feeding upon their
mother until she dies, and all nurture is absorbed, when they
fall off and shift for themselves; fifty of these terrific little
creatures have been counted at one time adhering to the body of
their dead parent.[71]
The _scolopendra,_ or centipede, is another member of the
_aptera_ order, whose bite is equally dreaded with that of the
scorpion. They sometimes attain the length of six inches, and are
as thick as the finger of a man; the common size is, however,
from two to three inches. They lurk in the dark holes and corners
of houses, in the lumber-yards, in the stores, (or warehouses,)
in stone-walls, rotten wood, or indeed, any place where they
think themselves secure from molestation; and from whence they
issue forth and attack whoever falls in their way. They feed upon
insects; and their wars with the cockroaches are most terrible.
Sometimes, however, they fall a victim to their stingless enemy,
who in that case makes a hearty meal upon their remains. The
scolopendra is furnished with numerous feet, from whence it
derives its name of centipede--there being as many of these
members (on each side) as there are joints in their body. The
antennæ are covered with short hairs; they wound with two curved
feelers in the head, armed with two short teeth. The bite is very
painful, and produces (like the scorpion's) severe fever, if some
antidote is not immediately applied. In illustration of this, a
sailor on board a West Indiaman was so severely wounded in the
hand by a centipede, that his life was thought to be in danger;
he was, however, eventually cured, by having roasted onions
applied to the part affected. The workmen employed in pulling
down old buildings, or in removing stacks of lumber, are also
very often dreadfully bitten by these terrible creatures.
The Antiguan snakes are perfectly harmless; some of them are
beautifully streaked and speckled. Spiders are also very numerous
in this part of the world, and call for the constant use of the
housemaid's broom. The _tarantula,_ or "horse-spider," is the
most celebrated in Antigua. It is about the size of a pigeon's
egg; the body and legs are stout, and thickly covered with stout
black hairs, and the feet armed with triple claws, with which
they hold their prey, while they tear it to pieces with their
forceps. Their bite is very sharp, and is also often attended
with fever; but the strange stories which have been related of
the bite of the tarantula throwing its victims into a state of
lethargy, from which the power of music can alone restore them,
has long ago been proved a fable.
The cockroach, or _blatta,_ is a most disgusting insect, although
perfectly harmless, being utterly devoid of any weapon of
warfare. It belongs to the order hemiptera, and is furnished with
four plain wings, which, when walking, it conceals beneath its
outward covering. The common cockroach is of a bright brown
colour, with long antennæ, and wings exceeding the body in
length. They are most destructive creatures, preying
indiscriminately upon the contents of the larder, the
linen-chest, or the book-case, or upon any insect they can
overcome by treachery or open combat, or vary their repasts at
times with a taste of the little negroes' fingers, when they go
to-bed with such members in a greasy state. Cockroaches cast
their skins once or twice in the year; during those periods they
present a most revolting appearance, being of a milky white
instead of their usual brown hue. In the day, they lurk in holes
and corners, but no sooner does night approach, or the clouds
threaten rain, than they issue forth by legions, crawl over the
floor or furniture, dash in your face, or commence their work of
devastation upon your property, leaving their nauseous odours
behind them upon whatever they may touch. The _drummer_-cockroach
is of a dingy ash colour; it receives its name from the drumming
noise it makes by striking, it is said, its horny head against
any wooden substance it may come near. It is even more disgusting
than the common cockroach, both as regards form and odour; the
antennæ and wings are shorter, and the body of greater breadth,
and differently marked; the feet are furnished with an adhesive
liquid, which stain anything they pass over. The eggs of the
cockroach are about one-third the size of their bodies; they are
rather flat and long, and are covered with a hard shell of a
brown colour. The parent insect attaches them to walls, curtains,
the interior of boxes or drawers, or, indeed, any place which
they deem convenient for the purpose, by means of a kind of
animal gum with which they are provided. The cockroach has many
enemies to contend against, among whom the domestic fowl is,
perhaps, the most formidable, picking them up, impaling them
alive upon their beaks, or swallowing them with a relish which
none but a fowl could conceive. The avidity with which fowls seek
such food gives rise to the negro proverb, "Dat time cockroach
hab dance, he no ax fowl for to come." They certainly are the
pest of the West Indies; nothing escapes their depredations; and
as the North American Indians have remarked of the deer, "The
more you kill, the more they come." The redeeming qualities of
cockroaches are said to be, that they improve the flavour of
wine, and make excellent fish-sauce!
There are immense hordes of caterpillars (_erucæ_) in Antigua;
some among them are of great magnitude and beauty, although sad
plunderers of the garden. After grovelling for some time upon the
ground, and then undergoing the transformation of a nympha, they
at length burst from their shelly covering, and, in the plenitude
of life and joy, bound forward in the bright sunshine as so many
gorgeous butterflies. Some of them are beautiful in the extreme,
their velvety coats displaying every tint of the rainbow; but,
alas! like all other beauties, their triumphs are soon over; the
sun rises and sets but seldom for them, and after laying their
300 or 400 eggs, their business in the world is achieved--their
little lives are over, and they again become a "thing of nought."
Ants also abound, and infest every comer and cupboard in your
dwelling. They have been held up as patterns of industry, and
surely they possess that virtue in an eminent degree, for in vain
does the thrifty housewife use her best endeavours to secure the
contents of her larder from their depredations. They never tire,
but surmount every difficulty, and, like the "Goths" and "Huns"
of old, pour their countless legions over the whole face of the
country. You may, with the greatest caution, suspend your
choicest preserves from the ceiling, thinking that a place of
security, but in a short time it is sure to be discovered by some
roving ant, who, without loss of time, communicates the results
of his foraging to his neighbours. The whole tribe are soon in
motion, the discoverer acts as pioneer, and with great judgment
conducts them over every impediment along the ceiling, down the
string, until at length they gain the sweetmeat, where, _sans
ceremonie,_ they luxuriate at will. At other times, in order to
guard the delicacies from the attacks of the ants, the vessel
which contains it is placed in water, and there all is deemed
quite secure. But not so; the ants are indefatigable; for no
sooner does their sense of smelling tell them some choice dainty
is inclosed therein, than they form a kind of bridge across the
water, by one ant embracing another by the antennæ, and in this
way they transport and enjoy the luxury at pleasure. There are
ants of various sizes, and colours; the large black ant, the
small black, the red ant, the wild ant, &c., but of all these
varieties the sugar-ant is the most disagreeable. It is supposed
the sugar-ant was first brought into the West Indies in a slaver,
from the coast of Guinea, and after destroying vegetation to a
great extent in Dominica, found its way to Antigua, where it
committed great havoc upon the sugar canes. They are of small
size, and of a light-brown colour, tinged with black, and when
crushed, emit a mucilaginous substance of a foetid smell.
As for flies, it would take an entomologist months to describe
them, so numerous are their varieties; and of insects of a viler
name, not to be mentioned to ears polite, the negroes would no
doubt tell you they are far from being an extinct race. Bats are
among the other denizens of Antigua, whose company is not very
desirable. Some of them attain the size of pigeons; but although
the dreaded "vampire" may be found among the number, we never
hear of any creature falling a prey to its thirst for blood.
The principal aquatic birds are, boobies, or gannets, man-of-war
birds, coots, gorlings, (a kind of heron,) gulls. The other birds
are, chicken-hawks, (or killa-a-killa, as the negroes call them,)
buzzards, turtle-doves, ground-doves, wild pigeons, quails, a
brown bird, with a most melodious note,--"the nightingale of a
tropic noon," as Coleridge poetically calls it; sparrows,
finches, yellowbreasts, blackbirds, (but not like those sweet
songsters of old England's woods,) several other birds, with
whose names I am unacquainted, and lastly, the pigmy
humming-bird. Speaking of these beautiful little creatures, a
modern author remarks: "The consummate green of the emerald, the
rich purple of the amethyst, and the vivid flame of the ruby, all
happily blended and enveloped beneath a transparent veil of wavy
gold, are distinguished in every species, but differently
arranged and proportioned in each." Pretty as this description
is, it is not quite applicable to the humming-birds of Antigua;
for although the "emerald" may be found, as well as the purple
and gold, in some degree, "the vivid flame of the ruby" will be
sought for in vain. Still it is a lovely little creature, with
its long slender bill, its graceful little head, its sparkling
black eye, and its fairy-like flittings among the fragrant
blossoms of its sunny home. It has been asserted that the
humming-bird is one of the shyest among the feathered tribe; but
to express my own opinion, I think it has as good a stock of
assurance as is possible to conceive for such a minute creature;
while its passions are very strong, and it will attack any bird
who comes within its range.
An anecdote was related to me during my stay in this island,
which proves how strong maternal love reigns in the breast of a
humming-bird. In order to increase a cabinet of birds, a negro
was dispatched in quest of these little creatures, with orders to
capture all he could; and in the course of his perambulations, he
alighted upon one which had built her tiny nest of cotton in a
secluded dell, and which, at that moment, was engaged in the
office of incubation. Void of pity, the negro seized upon his
prize, (which, with an expectant mother's love, would not quit
her eggs,) broke off the stem of the tree to which the nest was
attached, and carried it the distance of ten or twelve miles to
his master's house, where it remained for four days; and although
under no confinement, the humming-bird would not forsake her
nest, but was conveyed in that situation on board ship, where she
must have died of starvation; for who was to administer to her
the ambrosial dews which formed her food?
There are many other creatures whose lives and habits might be
given; but as I have already extended this part of my subject to
greater lengths than I had intended, I must conclude, or my task
would reach to many more pages.
------
[68] The _cancer graspus_ is the handsomest of its species, being
of a pale yellow, beautifully streaked and spotted with red, and
deeply serrated claws of a pure white. When in its native element
it spouts out the water from two orifices near its eyes, forming
a beautiful and never-ceasing arch.
[69] It was the shell of a turtle which served that great
monarch, Henry IV. of France, for a cradle.
[70] The guana has the power of fascinating small birds &c. in
the same manner as the anaconda, or rattle-snake, does. When bent
upon such deeds, it stretches itself baskingly in the sun, and
darts out its long red tongue; the birds, attracted by the sight,
hover round, apparently irresistibly approaching the creature's
mouth, until at length, when drawn within a convenient distance,
the guana makes a sudden start, and with one effort swallows the
poor bird.
[71] Oldmixon, in his history, says, the scorpions in Barbados
are as big as rats. If so, the present race of scorpions must
have degenerated greatly in size, or else the rats are of a
Lilliputian family.