1R82.1 61 



italics are mine), lie confesses himself '' gi'eatly disappointed with his 

 first impressions," but after a long residence, his opinion has greatly 

 changed, and he can confirm my experiences but in one particular. 

 On the contrarj', I think these admissions prove all I have written. 



As for the tropical primeval forest, on some minds, and mine I 

 confess is amongst the number, it exercises a strong and never-fading 

 fascination. The enormous columnar tree trunks springing straight 

 up branchless and curveless for 120 or 150 feet, the tightly pressed 

 canopy of leaves overhead like an enormous roof, through which not 

 a ray of the sun finds its way, the enormous buttresses to many of 

 the trees, most of the spaces between two of which are large enough 

 for a fairly big apartment if covered in, the strange creepers varying 

 in size from thread-like stems with leaves not so big as ones nail and 

 frequently variegated, to large species with three or four stems each 

 a foot thick joined by rings, holding large forest trees in their tight 

 embrace and rapidly strangling them, while their own cram of leaves 

 high overhead is mixed with that of its victim, the ground covered 

 with mosses large as English ferns {Galadiwni), some of them varie- 

 gated in the most extraordinary way, others with leaves three or four 

 feet across, Arums springing up higher than ones head, dwarf palms of 

 the most exquisite beauty and of numberless species, the strange 

 Nepenthes, and an infinity of other curious and beautiful forms of 

 vegetable life, while clinging to the tree trunks are to be seen end- 

 less orchids and parasitical ferns, all of tiny forms close to the ground 

 but increasing in size higher up, till the remarkable elk- or stag-horn 

 fern is to be seen high overhead, their strange fretwork leaves dangling 

 down a dozen feet below the plants themselves, one of which if taken 

 down would be nearl}^ a cart load of itself ; more than all in impres- 

 siveness is the gloom, the solemn silence, and the coolness, all these 

 things give a strange charm to the true forest. 



But there is no animal life visible or insect either, besides termites 

 and ants, except quite occasionally. 



The tropics are rich in species but poor in specimens, offering no 

 comparison in the latter respect to many large districts in the 

 temperate Zone that I know of, either as to profusion of birds, insects, 

 or reptiles, but the superior attraction to a true lover of Nature and 

 not a mere collector rests with the tropical forest for all that. 



In looking at collections made in the tropics, it must not be for- 

 gotten that in most parts out here there are some 350 days or 

 thereabouts in the year during which the enthusiastic Naturalist can 

 collect. 



Elopuro, Borneo : \Uh April, 1882. 



