356 A JOURNEY IN BRAZIL. 
as it were, of the luxuriance of tropical nature without 
the deepest interest. Wonderful as it is when seen in 
the tank of a greenhouse, and perhaps even more im- 
pressive, in a certain sense, from its isolation, in its 
own home it has the charm of harmony with all that 
surrounds it, with the dense mass of forest, with palm 
and parasite, with birds of glowing plumage, with insects 
of all bright and wonderful tints, and with fishes which, 
though hidden in the water beneath it, are not less brilliant 
and varied than the world of life above. I do not remember 
to have seen an allusion, in any description, to the beautiful 
device by which the whole immense surface of the adult 
leaf is contained within the smaller dimensions of the 
young one ; though it is well worth notice, as one of 
the neatest specimens of Nature's packing. All know the 
heavy 'scaffolding of ribs by which the colossal leaf, when 
full grown, is supported on its under side. In the young 
leaf these ribs are comparatively small, but the whole green 
expanse of the adult leaf is gathered in between them in 
regular rows of delicate puffings. At this period, the leaf 
is far below the surface of the water, growing slowly up 
from the base of the stock from which it springs. Thus 
drawn up, it has the form of a deep cup or vase ; but 
in proportion as the ribs grow, their ramifications stretch- 
ing in every direction, the leaf lets out one by one its 
little folds, to fill the ever-widening spaces ; till at last, 
when it reaches the surface of the water, it rests hori- 
zontally above it, without a wrinkle. Mr. Agassiz caused 
several stocks to be dragged up from the bottom (no 
easy matter, on account of the spines), and found the 
leaf-buds just starting between the roots, little white 
caps, not more than half an inch in height. There was 
