1848.] 
THE VIRGIN FOREST. 
25 
7iophyllimi abound, and in moist dark places the leaves 
of these are again covered with minute creeping mosses 
and Jungermanni(B, — so that we have parasites on para- 
sites, 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 pal- 
mate leaves of the Cecropias, and the oval glossy ones 
of the Clusias, and a hundred others of intermediate 
forms, afford sufficient variety ; and the bright sunshine 
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 clear- winged butterfly, with a bright violet 
patch on its lower wings, the Hceiera esmeralda, which 
we now saw and caught for the first time. Many other 
