38 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



average less showy, and are far less effective in adding colour 

 to the landscape than in temperate climates/' and that he has 

 never seen in the tropics " such brilliant masses of colour as 

 even England can show in her furze-clad commons, her 

 heathery mountain-sides, her glades of wild hyacinths, her 

 fields of poppies, her meadows of buttercups and orchises — 

 carpets of yellow, azure-blue, and fiery crimson, which the 

 tropics can rarely exhibit." This, I think, may be partially 

 accounted for, if we take into consideration the fact, that but 

 few of our most brilliantly-coloured flowers occur in the shade 

 of woods, but in comparatively open situations, which, in the 

 tropics, are too much burnt up by the direct rays of the sun 

 to permit of much development of vegetable life, with the 

 exception of certain bulbous and succulent plants (such as 

 Amaryllidacece, Cactacece, and Mesemhryacece), which, from 

 their structure, are capable of thriving on very poor soil. 

 The case is, however, entirely different, it is almost needless 

 to observe, as regards animals — the birds, reptiles, and insects 

 on the land ; and the fish, molluscs, Crustacea, and other 

 invertebrates of the seas of the tropics, being, with few excep- 

 tions, much more brilliantly attired than their representatives 

 in temperate climates. 



The 7th was a day of heavy rain, in consequence of which 

 I did not leave the ship. The warm steamy atmosphere 

 produced was very unpleasant, and caused a most extensive 

 development of mould on articles made of leather, and speci- 

 mens of all kinds. A few porpoises were observed swimming 

 about the harbour, and in the evening there was a splendid 

 sunset ; the summit of the Corcovado and other peaks 

 forming a sharp contrast with the deep rosy sky behind 

 them. 



On the 8th, accompanied by the surgeon and paymaster 



