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[Page 373]

269.
Some account of New Holland

well to all appearance as if no such accident had happned to it  when first we found the tree we of course gatherd the branches & were surprizd to find our hands instantly coverd with legions of these small animals who stung most intolerably  experience however taught us to be more carefull for the future  Rumphius mentions a similar instance to this in his Herbarium Amboinense Vol. II. p. 257  his tree however does not at all resemble ours. a third sort nested in the inside of the root of a Plant which grew on the Bark of trees in the same manner as Miseltoe  the root was as large as a large turnip & often much larger  when cut the inside shewd innumerable winding passages in which these animals livd  the plant itself throve to all appearance not a bit the worse for its numerous inhabitants  several hundreds have I seen & never one but what was inhabited  tho some were so young as not to be much larger than a hasel nut  the ants themselves were very small  not above half as large as our red ants in England  they stung indeed but so little that it was scarce to be felt  the cheif inconvenience in handling the roots came

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