20 CITY OF RIO 



feather-flower manufactorv of Mme. Finot, where the 

 g'org'eous phimag^e of hiimmhig" birds and others of 

 the feathered tribe is fabricated into wreathes and 

 bouquets of all kinds. Although the absence of 

 sewerag'e is everywhere apparent^ the town is well 

 supplied with water from numerous large fountains, 

 filled by pipes from an aqueduct five or six miles in 

 leng'th, communicating- with the Corcovado moun- 

 tain. One is struck with the comparative absence 

 of wheeled vehicles in the streets of llio. Now and 

 then a clumsy caleche is driven past by a neg*ro 

 postillion, in blue livery and jack boots^ riding* a 

 second horse yoked outside the shafts, and omni- 

 buses dra^vn b}" four or six mules, are not unfre- 

 quently met with, and seem to be much patronised. 

 Many of the walks in the neighbourhood of the 

 city are exceedingiy beautiful; one of the j^leasantest 

 leads along* the line of the aqueduct. Here the 

 botanist fresh from Europe, will find subjects of 

 interest at every step, and the entomologist may 

 revel to his heart's content among gaudily coloured 

 Helicoiim, Hesperian ^ and Erycince^ or watch the 

 larger butterflies of the restricted genus PcqnliOy 

 slowly wino'inp* their lazy flio-ht among- the trees 

 just beyond the reach of his insect net. A common 

 butterfly here (Perichomia AmpMnome) has the 

 singular habit of frequenting the trunks and limbs 

 of the trees where it rests with expanded wings, 

 and generall}^ manages adroitly to shift its position, 

 and escape vvhen swept at with the net. Some 



