8 TRIURIDEZ AND BURMANNIACEJE 
among the deep green foliage. These cones my telescope revealed to 
be fruits, but my Indians insisted they were wasps’ nests; and even 
when we came directly under the tree, which was not more than forty 
feet high, not one of them would venture to climb it until they had 
first poked one of the cones with a long stick. Nor did their caution 
appear to me ridiculous, for on the Casiquiare we had had feeling 
proof that wasps’ nests occur of all shapes and sizes. I expect this 
tree will constitute a new genus of Clusiacee, allied to Platonia. 
In returning from one of my long expeditions, I always feel a sense 
of humiliation at the little I have been able to effect for other sciences 
besides botany, and especially where the country traversed is perhaps 
more interesting to the geographer than to the botanist. Nor does it 
console me to reflect that one person cannot do everything, that the 
preserving of plants in this climate involves great mechanical labour, 
and that the daily cares and contretemps of a voyage, where one’s only 
workmen are Indians, and where food must be sought from day to day 
in the rivers and forests, consume no little time. In my late voyage, 
in addition to my botanical collections, I brought away with me rough 
maps of the rivers Pacimoni and Cunucunuma, with materials for con- 
structing them more accurately at a future day ; a few sketches, includ- 
ing a good deal of picture-writing; and vocabularies, more or less 
complete, of six different languages, including that of the Guaharibo 
Indians. But there are persons who would have done much more; and 
some one will come after me, possessing more health and strength, 
. aided by industrious hands, and with resources of every kind at his 
. disposal, who will complete whatever I have left imperfect. 
(To be continued.) 
On the South American 'TRIURIDEX and leafless BURMANNIACEX from 
the collections of Mr. Spruce; 6yGnorce BENTHAM, Ese. 
Among the dead leaves and other decayed vegetable matter in the 
moist forests of tropical America, are found a number of slender, deli- 
ee . eate annuals, which, from their total want of green leaves or stems, 
were formerly supposed to be parasites, like our Orobanches. This is 
— however now ascertained not to be the case. Whatever be the cause 
_of the brilliant colours, varying from purple, red, or yellow, to a pure 
