NOV. 1768 VEGETATION NEAR RIO 29 



know of has been here since Marcgrav and Piso about 

 1640 ; so it is easy to guess the state in which the natural 

 history of such a country must be. 



To give a catalogue of what I found would be a trouble 

 very little to the purpose, as every particular is mentioned 

 in the general catalogues of this place. I cannot, however, 

 help mentioning some which struck me the most, and con- 

 sequently gave me particular pleasure. These were chiefly 

 the parasitic plants, especially Eenealmice (for I was not 

 fortunate enough to see one Epidendrum) and the different 

 species of Bromelia, many not before described. Karratas 

 I saw here growing on the decayed trunk of a tree sixty feet 

 high at least, which it had so entirely covered that the 

 whole seemed to be a tree of Karratas. The growth of the 

 Rhizopliora * also pleased me much, although I had before a 

 very good idea of it from Rumphius, who has a very good 

 figure of the tree in his Herb. Amboin. [v. iii. tab. 71, 72]. 

 Add to these that the whole country was covered with the 

 beautiful blossoms of Malpighiw, Bannisterice, Passiflorce, not 

 forgetting Poinciana and Mimosa sensitiva, and a beautiful 

 species of Clusia, of which I saw great plenty ; in short, the 

 wildest spots here were varied with a greater quantity of 

 flowers, as well as more beautiful ones, than our best- 

 devised gardens ; a sight infinitely pleasing for a short 

 time, though no doubt the eye would soon tire with a con- 

 tinuance of it. 



The birds of many species, especially the smaller ones, 

 sat in great abundance on the boughs, many of them covered 

 with most elegant plumage. I shot Loxia, Irasiliensis, and 

 saw several specimens of it. Insects also were here in 

 great quantity, many species very fine, but much more 

 nimble than our European ones, especially the butterflies, 

 almost all which flew near the tops of the trees, and were 

 very difficult to come at, except when the sea breeze blew 

 fresh, which kept them low down among the trees where 

 they might be taken. Humming-birds I also saw of one 

 species, but could not shoot them. 



1 Mangrove tree. 



