168 IN THE GUIANA FOREST, 



at night, throughout the whole year, the trees are 

 continually at work. They drop their leaves, 

 generally twice in the twelve months, although a 

 few only do this once. When the change takes 

 place it has to be got over hurriedly. It would 

 never do to have the branches and twigs bare for 

 even a few weeks with so many rivals prepared to 

 take advantage of such an opening. If there were 

 an uniform resting period the disability might be 

 less, but as it is every individual differs more or 

 less from others, even of the same species, and 

 chooses its own time. From January to March, 

 and again six months later, fruits ripen, the leaves 

 fall off one by one, and almost immediately 

 perhaps in a few hours the tree is again clothed 

 with a vesture far more beautiful than that which 

 it has just cast off. If this change were at all uni- 

 form, the forest would at this time present a most 

 gorgeous appearance, to which the autumn colouring 

 of North American forests bears no comparison. 

 Even a single tree is " a thing of beauty," but like 

 that quality in many other things soon gives place 

 to mere uniformity. As the buds expand, the 

 flaccid leaves are seen tinted in most inimitable 

 shades. On backgrounds of pale green are painted 

 with the delicate hand of nature rich crimsons, 

 browns, olives, yellows, and whites, which glow in 



