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accustomed when there is nothing better to be got. All these paths 

 are frequented by varying numbers of Lepidoptera, and a mate tea 

 district should always appeal to a lepidopterist. The forest is 

 principally of Araiuaria braziliensis. This kind of forest, of which 

 there are hundreds of square miles, is peculiar to the State of Parana. 

 The cone of the Araucaria is very large and heavy, weighing about 

 three pounds. Walking in these forests at the time the cones are 

 ready to drop involves considerable danger, for a weight of three 

 pounds dropping from a height of sixty feet is sufficient to kill a 

 man. Each tree bears comparatively little fruit, which contains 

 large seeds or " nuts," which are not bad to eat. 



A remarkable plant that we saw a good deal of was the " old man's 

 beard " Bromelia. This growth looks exactly like cobwebs or lichen 

 hanging from the trees. It is a remarkable growth quite unlike the 

 great majority of Bromelias, which grow very like young pineapples. 

 The plant is an epiphyte and is not parasitic, but grows just like an 

 orchid, living on air and moisture. Sometimes, when this Bromelia is 

 very abundant, the landscape in the distance looks as if it were en- 

 veloped in mist. I must mention one other botanical item of interest 

 — the tree fern. Growing amongst the Araucarias there is a varying 

 proportion of these beautiful plants. On the tree ferns, just below the 

 base of the fronds, there was growing one of the most interesting 

 and difficult of all orchids to cultivate, Zygopetalum maxillare. I 

 found a number of these plants, and one was in flower. The sepals 

 and petals are green with chocolate spots, and the lip a beautiful 

 blue. The creeping rhizome of the plant clings so tenaciously to 

 the stem of the tree fern that it is almost impossible to remove it 

 without breaking it. 



We remained at Fernandes till April 6th, and enjoyed magnificent 

 collecting. We then travelled another seven hours on the ramshackle 

 railway to Uniao da Victoria. We were unfortunate with our 

 accommodation, and had to put up at a very low-grade establish- 

 ment, and the weather was, for a change, exceedingly wet. The 

 collecting was disappointing, after making all allowances for the 

 weather, and the collecting ground was not very accessible. To get 

 to the woods meant crossing the wide Iguassu in a dug-out canoe, 

 with a good long walk in addition. We did get, however, some 

 fresh ErycinidcB and some local Fhyciodes that we had not seen 

 before. This was the only place, also, where we found the beautiful 

 Cybdelis phcesyle. These latter, with the Fhyciodes, were hovering 

 and settling on the wet sand in a lane about a mile from Victoria. 

 Pyrameis braziliensis was also quite common. We were not at all 

 satisfied with our surroundings. Uniao da Victoria is a wretched, 

 squalid place, and its inhabitants are not all above suspicion. The 

 people believe there is to be a great future for their town, and 

 buildings are being simply thrown up. There may be a great future 

 for the place, but it is likely that it is still a long way off. We 

 contemplated going by the little steamer to Porta Amazonas at the 



