RIO DE JANEIRO AND ITS ENVIRONS. 75 



word is used to express not only important chains of 

 mountains, but all their spurs. Any mountainous eleva- 

 tion is a Serra ; but though there is an endless number of 

 them between the Serra do Mar and the Serra da Manti- 

 queira, these are the two most important chains, running 

 parallel with the sea-coast. Between them flows the Para- 

 hyba with its many branches. It is important to make col- 

 lections here, as the peculiar character of this water basin, 

 the many tributaries of which drain the southern water- 

 shed of the Serra da Mantiqueira, and the northern water- 

 shed of the Serra do Mar, make it of especial interest 

 for the naturalist. On account of its neighborhood to 

 the sea, it is also desirable to compare its inhabitants 

 with those of the many short, disconnected rivers which 

 empty into the Atlantic on the other side of the coast 

 range. In short, it gives a good opportunity for testing 

 those questions of the geographical distribution of living 

 beings, as connected with their origin, which Mr. Agassiz 

 so strongly urged upon his assistants during our voyage. 

 Soon after crossing the Parahyba, the road strikes the 

 Parahybuna, a tributary which enters the main river on 

 its northern side, nearly opposite the Piabanha. The latter 

 part of the journey is less wild than the first half; the 

 mountains fall away in somewhat gentler slopes, and do 

 not shut in the road with the steep rugged precipices so 

 striking in the valley of the Piabanha. But though perhaps 

 less picturesque on approaching Juiz de Fora,* the scenery 

 is beautiful enough throughout the whole ride to satisfy 

 the most fastidious and keep the attention constantly awake. 

 We arrived at the end of our journey at about six o'clock, 

 and found most comfortable accommodations prepared for 



* In some maps this place is inscribed under the name of Parahybuna. 



