f- ^ 



MISSION OF COLLECTOR TO BKAZII>. o.) 



quantity. Plants arriving in' England so late as these will do 

 will have to be kept dry through the dead of the winter, and 

 started into growth as early as possible in the spring. The wet 

 season here will not permit of their being collected so as to get 

 home in March or April, which would otherwise be the best time. 

 Of No. 55 I met with a stray plant or two in flower, as also one 

 plant of No. 56 {lonopsis, sp.)and No. 57 {Oncidium altissimum). 

 The last of these is hanging in tons on every tree, but is not 

 generally in flower. 



Sept. J )itlt. — Went to Maxanibomba this morning to look round 

 that neighbourhood again, but had only been out a few hours 

 ^vhen T w^as obliged to make my escape from a tremendous 

 thunderstorm, which continued all the afternoon. 



f - . _ - 



Sept, \Zth. — Had the weather been favourable I intended to 

 have started this morning on a last excursion up the Serra, but 

 it is impossible to go out; the rain has been falling in torrents 

 all day with short intermissions, and accompanied in the after- 

 noon with thunder and lightning. 



Sept. lith. — Still wet. The people regard tliis as an earnest 

 of the approaching rainy season, although it is somewhat earlier 

 than usual. Thunderstorms are fretjuent on the coast, and 

 in the Serra during the whole year; but in the interior the 

 seasons are much more decidedly wet and dry. 



The breaking up of the dry season is always marked by 

 thunderstorms occurring almost daily, generally in the afternoon, 

 and accompanied with heavy rains. The wet season lasts from 

 October until March or April. 



^ Sei^t, 15^/t.^The rain continues, but it has not been so heavy 

 to-day; the fair intervals have also been longer and more 

 frequent. 



Sept. IGtli. — This morning, though far from promising, was 

 fair. I walked along the road to Rio for a few miles, and looked 

 through part of one of the hill forests on the north side of the 

 road- Found one plant of No. 58 [Oncidhnn Gardnerianum) \\\ 

 bloom ; it was growing on a piece of rotten stick, which had fallen 

 from one of the large trees in the forest during the late rains, 

 looked long for more, but without success. The weather seems 

 more settled to-night, and I hope to be able to go up the Serra 



to-morrow.' ^ ' . 



Sept. 11th, — It rains to-day again as heavily as if there had 



not been a drop for months. Thunder and liglitning in the 

 afternoon, - 



