574 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
colour arranged in a circle; when viewed from a distance, 
one might imagine that a flower of a Pæonia had been arti- 
ficially placed on the plant. The stems are often 18 inches 
in diameter; the natives use the dried stems for rafters to 
their houses, also for doors, being the only timber the country 
produces in those parts. I possess, in Valparaiso, a piece of 
this wood, which on my return I will forward, for the purpose . 
of giving you an idea of its size and structure. 
“From Calama, by regular stages, I arrived at Potosi, 
one hundred and fifty-eight leagues from Cobija. We tra- 
velled on the summit of the Andes after leaving Calama, ` 
twenty leagues, often at an elevation of 13,000 feet, till we 
reached Potosi. During the whole of this long journey, 
I did not collect a single specimen, as few plants exist, and 
those we saw were not in flower, it then being the dry 
season ; were a traveller to pass the same road at the present 
time, he would be more fortunate, and might obtain many 
curious alpine plants. On the Andes, I found many inte- 
resting birds, particularly two kinds, one a new species of 
Eudromia, as large as E. elegans, but different in plumage, 
and without a crest; the other is a charming species of 
Tinochorus, much larger than 7. D'Orbignianus and of beau- 
tiful plumage. These birds inhabit the vicinity of frozen 
brooks near Tapaquilcha ; they are rare and I have never 
been able to detect them in any other place. I remained only 
afew days in Potosi, and from thence directed my way to 
Chuquisaca. After leaving Potosi, with a few leagues of a 
gradual descent, we came into a more congenial climate, and 
I had the pleasure to find a fine species of Berberis, B. vir- 
gata? of Ruiz and Pavon; also a very elegant species of 
Lycium, with long dark blue flowers. Before we arrived at 
Chuquisaca, we crossed what may be termed the head-waters 
of the river Pilcomayo. On the mountains on either side of | 
this river there is a very interesting vegetation, Here I 
found a most beautiful tree belonging to the Bignoniaceæ 
which grows to the height of 20 feet, completely covered 
with panicles of splendid dark blue flowers, the size and 
