CONTENTS. 



I. The Climate and Physical Aspects of the Equatorial Zone. 



The three Climatal Zones of the Earth — Temperature of the Equatorial 

 Zone — Causes of the Uniform High Temperature near the Equator — ■ 

 Influence of the Heat of the Soil — Influence of the Aqueous Vapour of 

 the Atmosphere — Influence of Winds on the Temperature of the Equator 

 — Heat due to the Condensation of Atmospheric Vapour — General 

 Features of the Equatorial Climate — Uniformity of the Equatorial Cli- 

 mate in all Parts of the Globe — Efi'ects of Vegetation on Climate — Short 

 Twilight of the Equatorial Zone — The Aspect of the Equatorial Heavens 

 — Intensity of Meteorological Phenomena at the Equator — Concluding 

 Kemarks pages 1 — 26 



II. Equatorial Vegetation. 



The Equatorial Forest-belt and its Causes — General Features of the Equa- 

 torial Forests — Low-growth Forest-trees — Flowery Trunks and their 

 Probable Cause — Uses of Equatorial Forest-trees — The Climbing Plants 

 of the Equatorial Forests — Palms — Uses of Palm-trees and their Pro- 

 ducts — Ferns — Ginger-worts and Wild Bananas — Arums — Screw-Pines — 

 Orchids — Bamboos— Uses ol the Bamboo — Mangroves — Sensitive-plants 

 — Comparative Scarcity of Flowers — Concluding Remarks on Tropical 

 Vegetation fages 27 — 68 



III. Animal Life in the Tropical Forests. 



Difficulties of the Subject— General Aspect of the Animal Life of Equatorial 

 Forests — Diarnal Lepidoptera or Butterflies— Peculiar Habits of Tropical 

 Butterflies — Ants, Wasps, and Bees — Ants — Special Eelations between 

 Ants and Vegetation — Wasps and Bees — Orthoptera and other Insects — 

 Beetles — Wingless Insects — General Observations on Tropical Insects — 

 Birds — Parrots — Pigeons — Picarise — Cuckoos — Trogons, Barbets, Toucans 

 and Hornbills — Passeres — Reptiles and Amphibia — Lizards — Snakes — 

 Frogs and Toads — M ammalia — Monkeys — Bats — Summary of the Aspects 

 of Animal Life in the Tropics pages 69—123 



