1848.] 



CLIMBING PLANTS. 



25 



ordinarv among the extraordinary climbers of the forest, its 

 bioad flattened woody stems being twisted in and out in a 

 most singular manner, mounting to the summits of the very 

 loftiest forest-trees, and hanging from their branches in gigantic 

 festoons, many hundred feet in length. A handsome pink and 

 white Clusia was now abundant, with large shining leaves, and 

 flowers having a powerful and very fragrant odour. It grows 

 not only as a good-sized tree out of the ground, but is also 

 parasitical on almost every oth^r forest-tree. Its large round 

 whitish fruits are called cebola braba " (wild onion), by the 

 natives, and are much eaten by birds, which thus probably 

 convey the seeds into the forks of lofty trees, where it seems 

 most readily to take root in any little decaying vegetable 

 matter, dung of birds, etc., that may be there ; and when it 

 arrives at such a size as to require more nourishment than it 

 can there obtain, it sends down long shoots to the ground, 

 which take root, and grow into a new stem. At Nazare there 

 is a tree by the road-side, out of the fork of which grows a 

 large Mucuja palm, and on the palm are three or four young 

 Clusia trees, which no doubt have, or will have, Orchidecd and 

 ferns again growing upon them. A few forest-trees were also 

 in blossom ; and it was truly a magnificent sight to behold a 

 great tree covered with one mass of flowers, and to hear the 

 deep distant hum of millions of insects gathered together to 

 enjoy the honeyed feast. But all is out of reach of the curious 

 and admiring naturalist. It is only over the outside of the 

 great dome of verdure exposed to the vertical rays of the sun 

 that flowers are produced, and on many of these trees there is 

 not a single blossom to be found at a less height than a 

 hundred feet. The whole glory of these forests could only be 

 seen by sailing gently in a balloon over the undulating flowery 

 surface above : such a treat is perhaps reserved for the traveller 

 of a future age. 



A jararaca, said to be one of the most deadly serpents in 

 Brazil, was killed by a Negro in our garden. It was small, 

 and not brightly coloured. A fine coral snake was also brought 

 in ; it was about a yard long, and beautifully marked with 

 black, red, and yellow bands. Having, perhaps, had some 

 experience of the lavish manner in which foreigners pay for 

 such things, the man had the coolness to ask two miireis, or 

 4^. 6^. for itj so he had to throw it away, and got nothing. A 



