i8 TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON, \J^ne, 



and Hepaticce^ — so that we have parasites on parasites, and 

 on these parasites again. On looking upwards, the finely- 

 divided foliage, strongly defined against the clear sky, is a 

 striking characteristic of the tropical forests, as is repeatedly 

 remarked by Humboldt. Many of the largest forest-trees 

 have leaves as delicate as those of the trembling Mimosa^ 

 belonging like them to the extensive family of the Leguminosce, 

 while the huge palmate leaves of the Cecropias^ the oval 

 glossy leaves of the Clusias, and a hundred others of inter- 

 mediate forms, afford sufficient variety ; and the bright sun- 

 shine lighting up all above while a sombre gloom reigns 

 below, adds to the grandeur and solemnity of the scene. 



Flowers were very few and far between, a few small Orchidece 

 and inconspicuous wayside weeds, with now and then a white- 

 or green-blossomed shrub, being all that we met with. On 

 the ground many varieties of fruits lay decaying : curiously 

 twisted legumes like peas a yard long, huge broad beans, nuts 

 of various sizes and forms, and large fruits of the pot-trees, 

 which have lids like the utensil from which they derive their 

 name. The herbage consisted principally of ferns, ScitaminecE^ 

 a few grasses and small creeping plants ; but dead leaves and 

 rotten wood occupied the greater part of the surface. 



We found very few insects, but almost all that we met with 

 were new to us. Our greatest treasure was the beautiful dear- 

 winged butterfly, with a bright violet patch on its lower wings, 

 the Hcetera esmeralda, which we now saw and caught for the 

 first time. Many other rare insects were also obtained, and 

 the gigantic blue Morphos frequently passed us, but their 

 undulating flight baffled all our efforts at capturing them. Of 

 quadrupeds we saw none, and of birds but few, though we 

 heard enough of the latter to assure us that they were not 

 altogether wanting. We are inclined to think that the general 

 statement, that the birds of the tropics have a deficiency of 

 song proportionate to their brilliancy of plumage, requires to 

 be modified. Many of the brflliant birds of the tropics belong 

 to families or groups which have no song; but our most 

 brilliantly coloured birds, as the goldfinch and canary, are not 

 the less musical, and there are many beautiful little birds here 

 which are equally so. We heard notes resembling those of 

 the blackbird and the robin, and one bird gave forth three 

 or four sweet plaintive tones that particularly attracted our 



