CuapP, Ll. CLIMBING PLANTS. a 
found only in the Amazonian forests, is entirely arboreal, and has a 
long flexible tail like that of certain monkeys. Many other similar 
instances could be enumerated, but I will mention only the Geodephaga, 
or carnivorous ground beetles, a great proportion of whose genera and 
species in these forest regions are, by the structure of their feet, fitted 
to live exclusively on the branches and leaves of trees. 
Many of the woody lianas suspended from trees are not climbers, but 
the air-roots of epiphytous plants (Aroidez), which sit on the stronger 
boughs of the trees above, and hang down straight as plumb-lines. 
Some are suspended singly, others in leashes ; some reach halfway to 
the ground, and others touch it, striking their rootlets into the earth. 
The underwood in this part of the forest was composed partly of 
younger trees of the same species as their taller neighbours, and partly 
of palms of many species, some of them twenty to thirty feet in height, 
others small and delicate, with stems no thicker than a finger. These 
latter (different kinds of Bactris) bore small bunches of fruit, red or 
black, often containing a sweet grape-like juice. 
Further on the ground became more swampy, and we had some 
difficulty in picking our way. The wild Banana (Urania Amazonica) 
here began to appear, and, as it grew in masses, imparted a new aspect 
to the scene. The leaves of this beautiful plant are like broad sword- 
blades, eight feet in length and a foot broad ; they rise straight upwards, 
alternately, from the top of a stem five or six feet high. Numerous 
kinds of plants with leaves similar in shape to these, but smaller, 
clothed the ground. Amongst them were species of Marantacez, some 
of which had broad glossy leaves, with long leaf-stalks radiating from joints 
in a reed-like stem. ‘The trunks of the trees were clothed with climbing 
ferns, and Pothos plants, with large, fleshy, heart-shaped leaves. Bamboos 
and other tall grass and reed-like plants arched over the pathway. The 
appearance of this part of the forest was strange in the extreme ; 
description can convey no adequate idea of it. The reader who has 
visited Kew may form some notion by conceiving a vegetation like that 
in the great palm-house spread over a large tract of swampy ground, 
but he must fancy it mingled with large exogenous trees similar to 
our oaks and elms, covered with creepers and parasites, and figure to 
himself the ground encumbered with fallen and rotting trunks, branches; 
and leaves ; the whole illuminated by a glowing vertical sun, and reeking 
with moisture. 
In these swampy shades we were afraid at each step of treading on 
some venomous reptile. On this first visit, however, we saw none, 
although I afterwards found serpents common here. We perceived no 
signs of the larger animals, and saw very few birds. Insects were more 
numerous, especially butterflies. ‘The most conspicuous species was a 
large, glossy, blue and black Morpho (M. Achilles of Linnzeus), which 
measures six inches or more in expanse of wings. It came along the 
alley at a rapid rate and with an undulating flight, but diverged into 
the thicket before reaching the spot where we stood. Another was the 
very handsome Papilio Sesostris, velvety black in colour, with a large 
silky green patch on its wings. It is the male only which is so coloured ; 
the female being plainer, and so utterly unlike its partner, that it was 
