NOTES OF A BOTANIST chap, n 
On that side of the campo nearest Santarem, it 
was fringed by a dense growth of tall prickly palms, 
interspersed with a few trees of Siinaruba versicolor, 
St. Hil., conspicuous for their glossy pinnate leaves 
and bunches of green flowers ; and with a Rubi- 
aceous shrub [Palicourea riparia, Benth.) which I 
have met with again in similar situations all 
through the plains : it has slender forked stems, 
green bark, opposite lanceolate leaves, lax panicles 
of which all the branches are red, and waxy yellow 
flowers the size and shape of those of the lilac. 
The above sketch of some of the plants in 
flower at the time of my first visit to Santarem 
may serve to give an idea of the aspect and char- 
acter of the vegetation in the month of November. 
I should add that along the shore of both the 
Amazon and Tapajoz there was a rather dense 
growth of trees of the gapo, mostly of humble 
stature, but becoming loftier as one descended the 
Amazon. Very few of them were in flower in 
November, and I obtained them all afterwards in 
perfect state, so that I need not now further par- 
ticularise them. There were also many small lakes 
near the rivers, with very little water in them at 
that season, and containing only a scanty, sickly 
vegetation. 
At Santarem I had the pleasure of meeting 
Mr. A. R. Wallace, of becoming acquainted with 
the paths across the campo under his guidance, 
and of his animated and thoughtful conversation in 
the evenings ; although, after a hard day's work, 
we both of us found it difficult to keep our eyes 
open after 8 o'clock, for it was not until I had been 
some time longer in the country that I got into the 
