178 TRANSACTIONS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE [Sess. lv. 



continued perhaps 3 feet beyond the highest pair of leaves, 

 and tapered gradually to a very thin point. Along this bare 

 continuation of the leaf- stem were set pairs (3 or 4) of 

 strong spines inclined towards the ground, and making with 

 the stem an angle of 30° or 40°. By means of these the 

 palm hooked itself on to plants growing above it, and having 

 gained a step it was able to hold fast until by elongation it 

 could gain another, and was effectually secured against being 

 dragged down again into the tangle below. Obviously, also, 

 it was raised by the gTowth of the bushes to which it had 

 attached itself. 



Such is a sketch of the more noticeable palms which are 

 found in that particular part of the colony, and of which 

 only a few can be observed from our boat as it glides down 

 the Arapiacru Creek. Perhaps the next feature that arrests 

 the attention of a stranger to the Tropics is the Epiphytes 

 and climbing plants. Almost every tree shelters some of 

 these lodgers. Tillandsias are very conspicuous, growing 

 everywhere on the branches, and reminding one of the pine- 

 apple plant. The Monstera ohliqua, too, is common with its 

 large perforated leaves. Singularly handsome plants are the 

 Clusias of various species, with strong, oval, dark green leaves, 

 and beautiful white tiowers. These grow from seed that has 

 found a resting-place in the forks of the branches, and when 

 the plant has become established it flourishes in great 

 luxuriance, almost smothering the parent tree, and sending 

 down aerial roots, often from a great height, of the thickness 

 of whip-oord, which root in the ground and increase to the 

 size of a man's arm, foi'niing a large proportion of the bush- 

 ropes, which make so striking a feature in a tropical forest. 

 I did not find orchids so prominent as I had expected. 

 There are, no doubt, many of them, l)ut in the month of 

 October few were in flower, and any that I happened to see 

 were not very conspicuous. I think the only one that I 

 took special note of was Zi/gojoetalon rostratum, growing on 

 a branch wliich hung out over the water. The creepers 

 are very plentiful, princijjally Ipoma;as, Allamandas, and 

 Bignonias. These revel in the open sunshine of the river 

 banks and pi'esent masses of beautiful colour, as tliey ascend 

 and liang down from the bushes and trees. 



Of tlie trees, other than pahns, it is not necessary to say 



