THE PARQUE OF LOTA. 209 



America have given the name roble^ which properly 

 means " oak," to a variety of trees which agree only 

 in having a thick trunk and spreading branches. The 

 shrubs were very numerous, partly indigenous and 

 partly exotic, and a peculiar feature which I have not 

 noticed in any other large garden is the number of 

 parasites living on the trunks and branches of the 

 trees and shrubs. Ferns were very numerous and 

 grow luxuriantly, showing a wide difference of climate 

 between this coast and that of the country two or 

 three degrees further north. But the great ornament 

 of this place is the beautiful climber, Lapageria rosea, 

 now producing in abundance its splendid flowers, 

 which so finely contrast with its dark-green glossy 

 foliage. The specific name rosea is unfortunate, as 

 the colour of the flowers is bright crimson, verging on 

 scarlet. 



One of the special features of this garden was the 

 abundance of humming-birds that haunted the shrubs 

 and small trees, and darted from spray to spray with 

 movements so rapid that to my imperfect vision their 

 forms were quite indistinguishable. Whenever I 

 drew near in the hope of gaining a clearer view, they 

 would dart away to another shrub a few yards distant, 

 and I am unable to say whether the bright little 

 creatures belonged to one and the same or to several 

 different species. 



At one place where the garden is only some twenty 

 feet above the beach, I scrambled down the rocks, and 

 was rewarded by the sight of two or three plants 

 characteristic of this region. The most attractive of 

 these is one of the many generic types peculiar to 



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