346 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
flowers and fruit of three species hanging up to dry. I have met with 
five or six Orchidacee, the larger ones out of flower ; but two small ones 
in flower, one a pretty Fernandesia, most likely F. lunifera, the other 
with small sweet-scented yellow flowers. I am anxious to get to 
new ground, and I would go up the river at once, but this is such 
slow work, that I should be unable to get down again with my 
collections in E to despatch them, so as to reach England before the 
setting in of win In consequence of this, I have decided to accept 
Mr. Archibald bans invitation to visit two of the islands in the 
river, where he has some property, and which have been explored by no 
tanist. "These are Caripé and Tanau. In the former a deposit of 
fossil shells has been found quite recently, which I am anxious to see. 
Some time in the month of September I hope to send off my collections 
to England, and immediately after to set off up the river for Mont’ 
Alegre, on the north bank, which is spoken of as a good station from 
which excursions can be made up the country. ‘The hills, too, about 
Mont’ Alegre itself, are seen from the Amazon at a distance of twenty 
miles. I should like to devote the remainder of the year to Mont’ 
Alegre and the north shores of the Amazon, or even to prolong my 
stay there a little way into the rainy season, and then return to Parà, 
to remain until dry weather again commences. 
* The Ferns around here interest me much, especially the minuter 
epiphytal ones, and I gather all I find in good condition; but of all 
the Cryptogamous tribes, Zepatice seem most to flourish bé covering 
the trunks, branches, and even leaves of the trees in the dense virgin 
forests. The Mosses and Lichens, too, are numerous and beautiful. 
These are none of them overlooked, as you may well suppose, knowing 
my previous propensities ; but they are mostly laid down to dry in th 
lump, and await a season of more leisure for their being examined and 
portioned into specimens. I have met with abundance of the Drepano- 
phyllum, though hitherto only in a barren state,—and with both the 
Octoblepharums in copious fruit. 
** T cannot sp the phanerogamic families in which I have done 
most ;— Leguminose, Melastomacee, Clusiacee, &c., wil include the 
most interesting of my exogenous collection. The islands are said to 
possess a more varied and untouched vegetation than the main land, 
and I hope, when I return from them, which will be some time in 
September, to have several living plants and a large lot of dried speci- 
