22 Letters from J. MacGillivray, Esq. 



hemispheres. The former was rather abundant in the region of 

 calms and variables extending across the equator between the 

 limits of the trade-winds. While within the tropics we had the 

 usual accompaniments of dolphins, ilyiug-fish^ physalise, velellse, 

 &c., but the towing-net produced very little. 



Daybreak on January 23rd found us off Cape Frio, and in the 

 afternoon we anchored in the noble harbour of Rio de Janeiro. 

 I shall not trespass upon your patience by giving my first im- 

 pressions of the New World, or dilating upon the magnificence of 

 the scenery. Landing upon the shores of the American conti- 

 nent, I was not so much struck with the richness of the vegeta- 

 tion as with the exuberance of animal life. 



Many of the walks about St. Salvador are doubly interesting 

 to the naturalist from the great beauty of the scenery and the 

 variety of animal productions. My favourite one led me along 

 the aqueduct supplying the city from the Corcovado mountain, a 

 distance of a league. Here the number of species of Lepidoptera 

 and the frequency of gorgeous colouring and great size are among 

 the first things to attract one^s attention. Of these the Heliconii, 

 Hesperim and Erycina are the most numerous, some of the first 

 gaudily painted with red, yellow and black. One of the com- 

 monest butterflies, Peridromia Amphinome, possesses the sin- 

 gular habit of frequenting the trunks and limbs of trees, where 

 it is difiicult of detection while resting with expanded wings, the 

 variegated upper surface of which often resembles the lichen- 

 covered bark. The air was usually filled with the harsh grating 

 cries of large black Cicadce, here nearly as noisy, though not so 

 numerous, as in New South Wales. 



" Et cantu querulae runipent arbusta Cicadae." 



Birds were scarce, indeed I saw only one humming-bird ; nor 

 was I so fortunate among the land shells as 1 had anticipated. 

 The pretty Bulimus Gravesii, King (see App. to Voy. of Adven- 

 ture and Beagle), and another [R. 80] * of larger size, are usually 

 found creeping up the trunks and lower branches of trees, and I 

 found a colony of King^s Helix translucens upon a wall concealed 

 by rank vegetation. Helicina sordida, King, occurred once upon 

 a low Mimosa bush, and with this I may conclude ; for, even with 

 the kind assistance of Mr. King, I could muster only fourteen 

 species of land and three of freshwater shells. 



I anticipated some good results from dredging and was not 

 disappointed. Being unable to procure a boat from the ship, I 

 was obliged to content myself with one from the shore manned 

 by four negro slaves, who, after all, could scarcely keep the 



* The numbers refer to specimens. \V itli the aid of Mr. Hanley I liave 

 identified some of the molhisca mentioned. — E. F. 



