THE EQUATORIAL ZONE. 305 



" was stamped with a peculiar and, to us, a strange charac- 

 ter, and filled the mind with sadness. The thick forest 

 appeared to us like a vast tomb, for the dry season had 

 stripped from it all the leaves and flowers ; only here and 

 there thorny species of Smilax, or long shoots of Cissus, 

 bearing a few leaves, climbed on the trees ; or the stately 

 blossoms of the Pine-apples (Bromeliae) rose up amongst 

 the branches like gigantic arms, in the dark blue ether. . . . 

 Myriads of ants had hung on the trees their dwellings full 

 of labyrinths, which were several feet in circumference, and 

 by their black colour singularly contrasted with the bright 

 grey of the leafless branches. The autumn-like wood re- 

 sounded with the cries of various birds, chiefly araras and 

 paraquitoes. Shy armadillos and ant-eaters met us amongst 

 the high mounds thrown up by the busy ants, and sloths 

 hung stupidly on the white branches of the Ambauba (Ce- 

 cropia peltata) , whilst troops of apes appeared in the dis- 

 tance." 



But these forests are a far different scene during the 

 cooler season, on account of the beauty of their foliage. 

 Amongst the many large deciduous trees with beautiful 

 blossoms which grow in these Catingas is one called Caryo^ 

 car, belonging to the small family of Rhizobolacece (allied 



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