Thk Zoologist— Apkil, 1870. 2097 



almost solved the niysteiy ; for last night while watching our nets for 

 water-beetles the soiiiuls seemed unusually strong, and were closer to 

 us than ever: we immediately commenced striking with our nets 

 (though we could see nothing) in the direction of the sound, and at last 

 captured a large beetle, when at once the sound ceased and we Jieard 

 it no more that evening. This beetle is among those sent home : it is 

 a magnificent insect, and I feel no doubt whatever but that the soinids 

 we heard were produced by it. 



The rainy season has just set in, and it is very difficult now to work. 

 The ground is a strong red earth, and exceedingly slippery when wet; 

 the roads are quagmires ; the mornings very cold with heavy white 

 fogs on the mountains, making them appear almost as if covered with 

 snow : these fogs quickly wet one through, and then when the sun 

 bursts out, the steam evaporates from one's clothing so rapidly that 

 one looks as if just out of a vapour bath ; then perhaps in less than an 

 hour's time the rain will come down in floods, so that what with fogs, 

 rain and perspiration, we are continually in a state of "soak; " hence 

 as may be imagined, the rainy season is very unhealthy, and a great 

 deal of sickness then prevails ; the wonder is how one manages to 

 preserve health al all : up to the present time, however, we have both 

 had good health, though we are out early and late and work hard ; we 

 use every precaution in the changing of wet clothes and avoidance of 

 spirituous liquors, of which (cachaca or new rum) the natives drink an 

 immense quantity ; it is very cheap, only two shillings a gallon ; but 

 this is the only article that is cheap ; every other commodity, of even 

 the commonest kind, is two hundred per cent above English prices. 

 Owing to the rainy season, our month's collecting has not been very 

 productive, but we have done all we possibly can, and have sent home 

 over a thousand specimens, besides three boxes of orchids, collected 

 from the Mantigueira Mountains. 



On the 1st of January we had one of the storms of which I spoke 

 at the beginning of my letter: it commenced at 6 p. M., and lasted till 

 daybreak next day ; a little stream running near our hut became a 

 torrent, and we were nearly washed away ; thunder and lightning such 

 as I have mentioned raged continuously, also hail, or rather pieces of 

 ice, many of which measured over two inches in diameter; it was 

 terrific; gigantic trees blown down like saplings, and at daybreak the 

 forest appeared a complete wreck ; however, we got from the fallen 

 trees several orchids which it would have been impossible to have 

 obtained from the trees while standing. The wet season lasts till 



SECOND SKRIES — VOL. V. U 



