TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 207 



pierced with innumerable holes, which serve as a 

 retreat to the edible land-crab (Cancer Uca, L.). 

 On the sandy bank we observed, not only several 

 strand plants common to the tropical countries of 

 both continents, such as Avicennia tomentosa and 

 Rhizophora mangle, L., but also two others, natives 

 of higher latitudes, namely, Portulaca pilosa, which 

 is found on the coasts of Asia Minor, and Pharna- 

 ceum Cerviafia, which is found on the Baltic. We 

 traversed the principal street which leads through 

 the quarter of Mato-porcos to the royal resi- 

 dences, S. Cristovao and Santa Cruz ; and pass- 

 ing a handsome country-seat, belonging to the 

 bishop, we ascended the first hills of the Corcova- 

 do. Scarcely were we beyond the streets and the 

 noise of .the town, when we stopped, as if enchanted, 

 in the midst of a strange and luxuriant vegetation. 

 Our eyes were attracted, sometimes by gaily 

 coloured birds or splendid butterflies, sometimes 

 by the singular forms of the insects and the nests 

 of wasps and termites hanging from the trees, 

 sometimes by the beautiful plants scattered in the 

 narrow valley, and on the gently sloping hills. 

 Surrounded by lofty airy cassias, broad-leaved, 

 white-stemmed cecropias, thick-crowned myrtles, 

 large-flowered bignonias, climbing tufts of the 

 mellifluous pauUinias, far-spreading tendrils of the 

 passion-flower, and of the richly flowering hatched 

 coronilla, above which rise the waving summits of 

 Macaubu palms, we fancied ourselves transported 



