22 RIO DE JANEIRO. [chap. ii. 



shells of the marine genera solen and mytilus, and fresh water 

 ampullariae, living together in brackish water. I also frequently 

 observed in the lagoon near the Botanic Garden, where the 

 water is only a little less salt than in the sea, a species of hydro- 

 philus, very similar to a water-beetle common in the ditches of 

 England : in the same lake the only shell belonged to a genus 

 generally found in estuaries. 



Leaving the coast for a time, we again entered tlie forest. The 

 trees were very lofty, and remarkable, compared with those of 

 Europe, from the m hiteness of their trunks. I see by my note- 

 book, " wonderful and beautiful, flowering parasites," invariably 

 struck me as the most novel object in these grand scenes. Travel- 

 ling onwards we passed through tracts of pasturage, much in- 

 jured by the enormous conical ants' nests, which were nearly 

 twelve feet high. They gave to the plain exactly the appear- 

 ance of the mud volcanos at Jorullo, as figured by Humboldt. 

 We arrived at Engenhodo after it was dark, having been ten 

 hours on horseback. I never ceased, during the whole journey, 

 to be surprised at the amount of la])our which the horses were 

 capable of enduring ; they appeared also to recover from any 

 injury much sooner than those of our English breed. The Vam- 

 pire bat is often the cause of much trouble, by biting the horses 

 on their withers. The injury is generally not so much owing to 

 the loss of blood, as to the inflammation which the pressure of 

 the saddle afterwards produces. The whole circumstance has 

 lately been doubted in England ; I was therefore fortunate in 

 being present when one (Desmodus d'orbignyi, Wat.) was actually 

 caught on a horse's back. We were bivouacking late one even- 

 ing near Coquimbo, in Chile, when my servant, noticing that 

 one of the horses was very restive, went to see what was the 

 matter, and fancying he could distinguish something, suddenly 

 put his hand on the beast's withers, and secured the vampire. 

 In the morning the spot where the bite had been inflicted was 

 easily distinguished from being slightly swollen and bloody. 

 The third day afterwards we rode the horse, without any ill 

 effects. 



April l^th. — After three days' travelling we arrived at Socego, 

 the estate of Senhur Manuel Figuireda, a relation of one of our 

 party. The house was simple, and, though like a barn in form, 



