IN THE CINCHONA FORESTS 293 



number of species diminishes rapidly, and higher up, towards the 

 limit of the forest, the huge masses of robust Sendtn. r,r. I ,epi- 

 dozice, and in some places of Frullanice, leave little room for 

 the delicate Plagiochilse. Lejeuniae, on the contrary, are hot 

 country plants. 



LICHENS 



Of Lichens, the foliaceous species are remarkably scarce. 

 Kpiphyllous lichens, whose abundance and variety is so notable a 

 feature of the vegetation of the Amazon, seem to attain their 

 upper limit in the Red Bark woods. The trunks of the trees are 

 generally too well covered with mosses to leave much room for 

 the development of crtistaceous lichens. Still, a good many 

 species exist, chiefly Graphidece, and I did not notice any lichen 

 on the Red Bark which does not grow indifferently on other sorts 

 of trees. . . . 



Reserving the important subject of climate 

 to be last discussed, I resume my narrative of 

 operations. 



In the month of July a report reached us that 

 an Englishman, bringing with him a number of 

 boxes, had arrived at Ventanas. On the strength 

 of this I immediately sent Dr. Taylor thither with 

 horses, and he had the great satisfaction of finding 

 the Englishman to be Mr. Cross. Ventanas, how- 

 ever, was so full of soldiery, and was so likely to 

 be soon the theatre of a conflict (for the opposing 

 army lay encamped only a few leagues lower down 

 the river), that Dr. Taylor very wisely had the 

 materials for the Wardian cases removed about 

 three hours' journey up the river, to a farm called 

 Aguacatal, where they were not likely to be 

 molested. 



Mr. Cross had had all sorts of obstacles thrown in 

 his way by the forces that held the river, and with 

 the greatest difficulty had found men to row his 

 canoes, so that the distance from Guayaquil to 



