(_M. hecuba_) measures 8 to 9 in.
across its expanded wings. Dipterous insects are also very numerous in
species, especially in those of sanguinary habits, such as the
mosquito, _pium_, _maroim_, _carapana_, _borochudo_, &c. In some
places these insects constitute a veritable plague, and the infested
regions are practically uninhabitable. The related species of the
_Oestridae_ family, which include the widely disseminated _chigoe_ or
_bicho do pe_ (_Pulex penetrans_), and the equally troublesome _berne_
(_Cutiterebra noxialis_), which is so injurious to animals, are
equally numerous. The most numerous of all, however, and perhaps the
most harmful to civilized man, are the termites and ants, which are
found everywhere in the uninhabited campo and forest regions, as well
as in the cultivated districts. Nature has provided several species of
animals, birds and reptiles, to feed upon these insects, and various
poisonous and suffocating compounds are used to destroy them, but with
no great degree of success. It is not uncommon to find once cultivated
fields abandoned because of their ravages and to see large _campos_
completely covered with enormous ant-hills. The termites, or "white
ants," are exceptionally destructive because of their habit of
tunnelling through the softer woods of habitations and furniture,
while some species of ants, like the _sauba_, are equally destructive
to plantations because of the rapidity with which they strip a tree of
its foliage. Spiders are represented by a very large number of
species, some of which are beautifully coloured. The largest of these
is the _Mygale_ with a body 2 in. in length and outstretched legs
covering 7 in., a monster strong enough to capture and kill small
birds. A large _Mygale_ found on the island of Siriba, of the Abrolhos
group, feeds upon lizards, and has been known to attack and kill young
chickens. One of the most troublesome pests of the interior is a
minute degenerate spider of the genus _Ixodes_, called _carrapato_, or
bush-tick, which breeds on the ground and then creeps up the grass
blades and bushes where it waits for some passing man or beast. Its
habit is to bury its head in its victim's skin and remain there until
gorged with blood, when it drops off. Scorpions are common, but are
considered less poisonous than some European species.

_Flora._--Brazil not only is marvellously rich in bota