IV. 



Phases of Evolution in the Gniana Forest. 



THE great forest region of South America, which extends almost 

 to the shores of British Guiana, is one of the most interesting 

 in the world to the naturalist. An ordinary observer may, perhaps, 

 think its dark arches tame and dull, but even he is delighted with the 

 beauty and variety conspicuous at every bend of a creek or on the 

 edges of the savannah. Unlike the woods of Europe, so uniform in 

 character, we have here trees of a hundred species struggling with 

 each other for position, qr straining their utmost to hold their own in 

 the great battle for life. It is hard to find two individuals of the 

 same species growing together ; each appears to be fighting for 

 himself, regardless of the others, whether akin or not. 



As a result of this, specialisation is a most prominent charac- 

 teristic, not only of genera and species, but even of individuals. The 

 oaks and pines of temperate climates are undoubtedly variable to a 

 considerable extent, but will not compare with the great family of 

 Leguminosae in the tropical forest, where a thousand contrivances are 

 manifest in trunk, leaf, flower, and fruit. The different forms of the 

 legumen alone are particularly interesting. Here we have the trysil 

 {Pentaclethra filamentosa) with pods a foot long, and, farther on, the 

 wallaba [Epenia falcata), which hangs its scimitar-shaped fruit on long 

 strings. Then the tonka-bean with plum-like fruit, the arisaro and 

 others with winged seed-vessels, and a host of shrubs and climbers 

 with pods so curious and wonderful as to baffle the naturalist when 

 he attempts to find reasons for their existence. Other natural 

 orders, such as the Lecythidese and Lauraceae are also particularly 

 interesting. 



At first the wealth of species is almost bewildering ; the forest 

 alone would give work for a lifetime. It is so grand and magnificent 

 — so crowded with immense trees, bush ropes, epiphytes, and 

 parasites — so varied in species, as first to excite enthusiasm and then 

 depress with the thought that life is too short to investigate it 

 thoroughly. 



Coming from a temperate climate, where the number of species 

 in a wood can be counted on his fingers, the European sees above 

 him a canopy of intermingled branches and foliage of a hundred 

 different kinds which he cannot even reach, much less identify. 



