2o6 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
The term "Caatinga" being of very frequent 
occurrence in all Spruce's descriptions of his 
botanical excursions throughout the Rio Negro and 
Orinoco districts, it may be well to give here a 
note found loose in the Journal without any indica- 
tion of when it was written, but almost certainly 
after his return to England. I will first state 
that Caa-tinga in the Lingoa Geral means " White 
Forest," applied to all woody tracts where the 
trees are of small height and sparse growth, so 
that, in comparison with the lofty virgin forests, in 
whose recesses there is a deep gloom, they are 
light and sunny. They are especially abundant on 
the great area of granite extending over a large 
portion of the Upper Rio Negro and Orinoco, 
where the granite rock is covered with a barren 
white sand, hence I think it probable that the term 
white " applied to the soil rather than to the 
amount of light. In Central and South Brazil the 
same term is applied to deciduous woods, which 
are very common on the highlands and campos, and 
are due to a combination of poor soil with an arid 
climate. The following is Spruce's " Note" : — 
Caatingas of Central Brazil have a compara- 
tively dry climate and the trees are without leaves 
for some months in the cool dry season. Cacti and 
other succulent plants are frequent, and it is prob- 
able that Copaiferae and other trees store up 
moisture to resist the drought. 
" But the Caatingas of the Amazon -Orinoco 
region have a perpetually humid climate, and the 
trees are evergreen. The general character of the 
arborescent vegetation is to be dry and juiceless, 
while Cacti and similar plants scarcely exist. The 
