356 



A JOURNEY IN BRAZIL. 



as it were, of the luxuriance of tropical nature — without 

 the deepest interest. Wonderful as it is when seen in 

 the tank of a greenhouse, and perhaps even more im- 

 pressive, in a certain sense, from its isolation, in its 

 own home it has the charm of harmony with all that 

 surrounds it, — with the dense mass of forest, with palm 

 and parasite, with birds of glowing plumage, with insects 

 of all bright and wonderful tints, and with fishes which, 

 though hidden in the water beneath it, are not less brilliant 

 and varied than the world of life above. I do not remember 

 to have seen an allusion, in any description, to the beautiful 

 device by which the whole immense surface of the adult 

 leaf is contained within the smaller dimensions of the 

 young one ; though it is well worth notice, as one of 

 the neatest specimens of Nature's packing. All know the 

 heavy scaffolding of ribs by which the colossal leaf, when 

 full grown, is supported on its under side. In the young 

 leaf these ribs are comparatively small, but the whole green 

 expanse of the adult leaf is gathered in between them in 

 regular rows of delicate puffings. At this period, the leaf 

 is far below the surface of the water, growing slowly up 

 from the base of the stock from which it springs. Thus 

 drawn up, it has the form of a deep cup or vase ; but 

 in proportion as the ribs grow, their ramifications stretch- 

 ing in every direction, the leaf lets out one by one its 

 little folds, to fill the ever-widening spaces ; till at last, 

 when it reaches the surface of the water, it rests hori- 

 zontally above it, without a wrinkle. Mr. Agassiz caused 

 several stocks to be dragged up from the bottom (no 

 easy matter, on account of the spines), and found the 

 leaf-buds just starting between the roots, — little white 

 caps, not more than half an inch in height. There was 



