i moss, which was presently dropped when 
 Iperceived what accompanied it. As the 
creature did not attempt to make off on 
being released, I managed to secure and 
bring it home. Near the termination of 
the aqueduct, we collected specimens of a 
shell belonging to the genus Valvata, and 
some curious Insects. 
“About 7 P. M. we regained the spot 
where we had left the blacks, our horses, 
and the materials for dinner; and by the 
time we had partaken of this meal, dark- 
ness had already set in. As the road is 
by no means of easy descent, even by day, 
we should not have thought of staying so 
long, if we had not been certain of moon- 
light, and therefore delayed for half an 
hour longer till the time of its rising. 
During this period, we had a good oppor- 
. unity of listening to the sounds produced 
—. bythe various animals which are in a state 
of activity at this particular hour. Pre- 
eminent above all the rest, is that emitted 
by the Blacksmith Frog ; every sound 
which he produces ringing in the ears like 
the clang of a hammer upon the anvil; 
While the tones uttered by his congeners 
i strikingly resemble the lowing of cattle at 
"distance. Besides these, the hooting of 
an owl, the shrill song of the Cicada, and 
the chirping of grasshoppers, formed a 
continual concert of inharmonious tones. 
The moon having now risen, we conti- 
hued our journey ; but the lowering clouds, 
together with the shadows of the overhang- 
ing forest-trees, prevented our deriving 
m advantage from its light, and as soon 
ci ze gain a glimpse of the horizon, 
ing betokened an approaching 
black; t the North lay a mass of the 
a, -. clouds, whence streamed from 
setas d ni sheets of most brilliant 
; A eii E his continued till we reached 
— 4 2 Vhich we did shortly after 10 P. M., 
reason to deem ourselves highly 
» for we were scarcely seated when 
al pest burst forth in all its fury, ac- 
um Ee With a deluge of rain." 
: during e longest excursion I have made 
ny Stay here, was to the Tejuca 
lountains, whither I was accompanied by 
BOTANICAL INFORMATION, 
349 
Mr. J. Miers, jun., and where we remained 
ten days. Instead of the direct road from 
Rio, we preferred taking the worse and 
more circuitous one along the shore. We 
started on the 19th of November, and on 
our way, found growing among shrubs by 
the sea-side, a species of Tropeolum (T. 
aduncum ? Sm.), and on dry bushy banks 
great plenty of the Gloxinia speciosa, in 
full beauty. This species I had previously 
seen, growing by thousands on the face of 
a dry hill near the head of the valley of 
Rio Camprido. Close to the shore, and 
about fifteen miles from the city, rises the 
Gavea, a flat-topped mountain, two thou- 
sand feet above the level of the sea, to 
which it presents a nearly perpendicular 
precipitous front. Expecting to find some 
Orchideous plants on this mountain, we 
paid it a visit, and in the way picked up 
some shells belonging to the genera Helix 
and Bulimus. Between the cleared ground, 
attached to a Fazienda at the mountain’s 
foot and the mountain itself, lies a belt of 
native wood, passing through which we 
found a few plants of Dichorisandra thyr- 
siflora and a few Ferns we had never pre- 
viously seen. On reaching the face of the 
mountain, we found its base covered with 
various species of Bromelia, Tillandsia, 
Begonia, and Cactus, with other plants 
which affect such situations. At an eleva- 
tion of several hundred feet above us, we 
observed several clusters of a beautiful 
Orchideous plant in full blossom ; from its 
inaccessible situation, we were unable to 
reach it, but found the same some days 
after on a neighbouring mountain, and as- 
certained it to be Cattleya labiata. Con- 
tinuing our journey, we passed some large 
plants of Cleome arborea, loaded with 
their large purple flowers, abundance of 
the Tropeolum before noticed, Dichori- 
sandra thyrsiflora, and another species of 
the same genus. Along the side of the 
path were several trees of Rolna longi- 
folia, while the underwood was "n 
with the crimson bracteas of a Helicoma. 
The road, after windin E 
terminates at a salt-water lake, I 
sengers who follow this route are obliged 
