234 POPULAR GEOGRAPHY OF PLANTS. 



But as the sun mounts upwards, all these living creatures 

 seek shade and repose, these mingled sounds subside, and a 

 solemn silence is diffused over the scene. 



As this is not our first visit to a tropical forest, it is need- 

 less to detail again the wonderful history of climbing plants 

 and epiphytes which check our progress, and make the axe 

 a necessary accompaniment of our expedition ; though here 

 we are often able to dispense with its assistance, by following 

 the paths which have been trodden by an animal called the 

 tapir (Anta), which "though the largest South American 

 quadruped, is not of greater size in the body than a calf 

 six months old, and stands upon much shorter legs." 



Tree therefore from the fear of encountering any beasts 

 of more formidable size,, we can now at leisure make ac- 

 quaintance individually with some of those trees we before 

 mentioned in a group together. The large Cassia-trees are 

 amongst the most striking ; they belong to the Leguminous 

 family, but not to the papilionaceous division. Both blos- 

 soms and leaves vary very much in the different species ; in 

 some they are both large ; in others the leaves are about 

 the size and shape of those of the Portugal Laurel, the 

 blossoms being large and showy, and composed of five pe- 

 tals, which are either red or yellow ; in others again the 



