THE UNKNOWN. 



such as need preparation, and recording the facts 

 and habits that help to make up the as yet un- 

 written history of all. 



I turn from my own experience to that of those 

 who have, with similar tastes and similar pur- 

 suits, rifled still more prolific regions. Let us hear 

 Mr. Hates, who for the last eleven years has been 

 exploring the very heart of South America in the 

 service of natural history, chiefly devoting himself 

 to the gorgeous entomology of the great Valley 

 of the Amazon. He has drawn a picture of an 

 average day's proceedings, such as makes a 

 brother naturalist's mouth water, and almost 

 induces him to pack up his traps, and look out in 

 The Times shipping column for the next ship 

 mailing for Para:— 



"The charm and glory of the country are its 

 animal and vegetable productions. How inex- 

 haustible is their study I Remember that, as to 

 botany, in the forest scarcely two trees of the 

 same species are seen growing together. It is not 

 as in temperate countries (Europe), a forest of 

 oak, or birch, or pine— it is one dense jungle; the 

 lofty forest trees, of vast variety of species, all 

 lashed and connected by climbers, their trunks 

 covered with a museum of ferns, tillandsias, 

 arums, orchids, &c. The underwood consists of 

 younger trees — great variety of small palms, 

 mimosas, tree-ferns, &c. ; and the ground is laden 

 with fallen branches — vast trunks covered with 

 parasites, &c. The animal denizens are in the 

 same way of infinite variety; not numerous, as to 

 give the appearance at once of tumultuous life, 

 being too much scattered for that ; it is in course 

 of time only that one forms an idea of their num- 

 bers. Four or five species of monkey are con- 

 stantly seen. The birds are in such variety that 

 259 



