IV. 
Phases of Evolution in the Guiana Forest. 
HE 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, or 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 
Leguminosz 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 
(Pentaclethva filamentosa) with pods a foot long, and, farther on, the 
wallaba (Eferua 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 Lecythidee and Lauracez 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 froma 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. 
