Natural-History Collectors, 5659 



to Botany, in the forest scarcely two trees of the same species are 

 seen growing together. It is not, as in temperate countries (Europe), 

 a forest of oak, or birch, or pine — it is one dense jungle : the lofty 

 forest trees, of vast variety of species, all lashed and connected by 

 climbers, their trunks covered with a museum of ferns, Tillandrias, 

 Arums, Orchids, &c. The underwood consists of younger trees, — 

 great variety of small palms, mimosas, tree-ferns, &c, and the ground 

 is laden with fallen branches, — vast trunks covered with parasites, &c. 

 The animal denizens are in the same way of infinite variety, not 

 numerous, as to give the appearance at once of tumultuous life, being 

 too much scattered for that ; it is in course of time only that one forms 

 an idea of their numbers. Four or five species of monkey are con- 

 stantly seen. The birds are in such variety that it is not easy to get 

 two or three of the same species : you see a Trogon one day, 

 — the next day and day after, another each day, and all will 

 be different species. Quadrupeds or snakes are seldom seen, but 

 lizards are everywhere met with, and sometimes you get tortoises, 

 tree-frogs, &c. Insects, like birds, do not turn up in swarms of one 

 species; for instance, you take a dozen Longicorns one day, and they 

 are sure to be of eight or ten distinct species : one year of daily work 

 is scarcely sufficient to get the majority of species in a district of two 

 miles circuit. 



Such is the scene of my present labours, and all the rest of the 

 Amazons is similar, though less rich, the river Tapajos alone differing, 

 being a mountainous country. Having thus my work at hand, I will 

 tell you how I proceed. My house is in the centre of the town, but 

 even thus only a kw minutes' walk from the edge of the forest. I 

 keep an old and young servant, on whom I rely for getting eatables 

 and preparing my meals, so as to leave me unembarrassed to devote 

 all my thoughts to my work. Between nine and ten, a.m., I prepare 

 for the woods : a coloured shirt, pair of trousers, pair of common boots, 

 and an old felt hat are all my clothing: over my left shoulder slings 

 my double-barrelled gun, loaded, one with No. 10, one with No. 4 

 shot. In my right hand 1 take my net ; on my left side is suspended 

 a leathern bag with two pockets, one for my insect-box, the other for 

 powder and two sorts of shot; on my right side hangs my "game- 

 bag," — an ornamental affair, with red leather trappings and thongs to 

 hang lizards, snakes, frogs or large birds; one small pocket in this 

 bag contains my caps, another papers for wrapping up the delicate 

 birds, others for wads, cotton, box of powdered plaster, and a box with 

 damped cork for the Micro-Lepidoptera ; to my shirt is pinned my 



