PRODIGALITY OF VEGETATION. 
73 
singly, or by twos or threes. The blossom is of moderate size, and fair 
to look upon, with a pure snow-white lip, and sepals and lateral petals 
of a beautiful pale green. 
The humming-birds seem attracted by the orchids; at least, in 
such localities as we are describing they are very numerous, lighting up 
the greenery with flashes of brilliant colour, like the poetic fixncies that 
sometimes enliven our work-a-day existence. How splendidly beauti- 
ful they are ; and what images of airy gi'ace and surpassing elegance 
they suggest ! Thus, a traveller tells us of one of them, how the lovely 
little gem hovered around the trunk of a tree he was examining, and 
darted in and out of its leafy branches ; now probing here, now pene- 
trating there ; its cloudy wings vibrating with a noise like that of a 
spinning-wheel, and its glowing breast for a moment all aflame with 
the sun's radiance ; then apparently black, the light being wholly 
absorbed ; anon, as it slightly turned, changing into a dark olive ; and 
in an instant burstino- forth aojain with emerald efl*ulo^ence. 
But of the humming-birds we shall have more to say. Just now 
we are concerned with the tropical forest; and a fine passage in Shelley 
reminds ns of one of its most remarkable features. He says : — 
" Like restless serpents, clothed 
In rainbow and in fire, the parasites, 
Starred with ten thousand blossoms, flow around 
The gray trunks 
The woven leaves 
Make network of the dark blue light of day. 
And the night's noontide clearness, mutable 
As shapes in the weird clouds." 
The parasites, climbing-plants, creepers, lianas — whatever you like 
to call them — lend a peculiar character to the tropical foi'est. The 
stranger, pushing further into it, comes upon scores of tenacious strings, 
some rooted to the ground, straight and tense ; others dangling and 
waving in the wind at every height. Air-roots these, of wild pines, 
perhaps, or figs, or anthurineus — it matters not which — but there they 
are, clinging to the lofty branches of the lofty trees, and forming an 
aerial garden of vegetation. " You scramble round the tree to find 
whence it has sprung : you cannot tell. The trunk is smooth, and free 
