Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0371
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[Page 371]
267.
Some account of new Holland
a white Cocatoe in their Possession which very bird we lookd upon to be one of the waryest of them all
[Margin note] Insects
Of insects here were but few sorts & among them only the Ants were troublesome to us Musquetos indeed were in some places tolerably plentyfull but it was our good fortune never to stay any time in such places & where we did to meet with very few the ants however made ample amends for the want of them 2 sorts in particular one green as a leaf & living upon trees where he built his nest in size between that of a mans head & his fist by bending the leaves together & glueing them with a whiteish papery substance which held them firmly together in doing this their mangement was most curious I have seen they bend down 4 leaves broader than a mans hand & place them in such a direction as they chose in doing of which a much larger force was is necessary than these animals seem caple of Many thousands indeed are employd in the Joint work I have seen them holding down such a leaf as many as could stand by one another each drawing down with all his might while others within were employd to fasten the glue how they had bent it down