454 
DR. SCHOMBURGK’S RESEARCHES IN GUIANA. 
the Rupunoony. The Mora~trees* were in blossom, and the white flowers formed 
a pretty contrast with the dark-green leaves; the branching 44 Oubondi” or wild 
Cashew-tree, vied in height with the Mora, and numerous Monkies jumped from 
branch to branch, and, astonished at the uncommon visit, accompanied us a 
considerable distance. Our Caribees called this species 44 Ariegki” or 44 Yahria.” 
The male has strait long hair of a shining black, the head rather round, the 
forehead and part of the face and neck covered with short yellowish hair, part of 
the front, the nose, and mouth black, the latter slightly bearded, hands black, 
nails claw-like, except the thumb. The female is different in colour, and her fur 
resembles that of the European Hare; her hands are likewise black, and covered 
with short yellowish hairs; from under the eyes to the chin extends hair of a 
similar colour, but somewhat larger than that of the front and cheeks ; the breast 
is nearly naked, and the os hyoides visible. They jumped with great agility 
from tree to tree, the female and sometimes the male carrying the young ones 
upon the back. The length of the body is sixteen inches, that of the tail sixteen 
to sixteen inches and a half, their height about ten inches and a half to eleven 
inches. In their general aspect they resemble the Squirrel. 
Between the rocks subjected to the flow of water, the smaller Weya (Lads 
dichotomy Schomb.) grew in abundance. By night some of the fallen leaves on 
the ground appeared to be covered with phosphoric light; their number had 
considerably increased during the last night. I had never observed this phos¬ 
phorescence before, and ascribed it to a Cryptogamous plant called forth by the 
incessant rain. The ground about our tent was quite illuminated; not only 
leaves but likewise smaller branches which lay on the ground exhibited the 
whitish light. But this was not the only wonderful production of the rain; the 
latter had loosened the tongues of all the Frog kind in the vicinity; and, to judge 
from the variety of their cries, the species were numerous. The cry of some 
resembled the bleating of calves, others the chirping of birds, the call of the 
Duck, and even the hoarse voice of Man to a considerable degree; but the most 
* At a meeting of the Linnsean Society on March 20,1838, 44 A Description of the Mora-tree,” by 
Dr. R. H. Schomburgk, communicated by George Bentham, Esq., was read, in which it was 
stated that the tree is a native of British Guiana, where it attains a large size, the trunk often 
exceeding ninety feet in height, with a circumference of upwards of twenty feet. The trunk 
produces large buttresses at its base, which from their partial decay afterwards become hollow 
beneath, and form a chamber capable of sheltering several persons standing erect. The tops of 
these buttresses and the trunk itself are found clothed with innumerable epiphytes, which greatly 
add to the singularity of the tree. The tree affords timber of excellent quality, being close-grained 
strong, tough, durable, and not liable to split. The Mora constitutes a new genus of the order 
Ceguminosa, belonging to the sub-order Ccesalpinece , and tribe Cassia. Mr. Bentham adopts the 
native name for the genus, and proposes that of excelsa for the species.—H. B. 
