38G 
EE VIEWS. 
“ It is generally allowed that Guiana and Brazil, to the north and 
south of the Para district, form two distinct provinces as regards 
their animal and vegetable inhabitants. By this it is meant that the 
two regions have a very large number of forms peculiar to them¬ 
selves, and which are supposed not to have been derived from other 
quarters during modern geological times. Each may be considered 
as a centre of distribution in the latest process of dissemination of 
species over the surface of tropical America. Para lies midway 
between the two centres, each of which has a nucleus of elevated 
table-land, whilst the intermediate river-valley forms a wide extent 
of low-lying country. It is, therefore, interesting to ascertain from 
which the latter received its population, or whether it contains so 
large a number of endemic species as would warrant the conclusion 
that it is itself an independent province. To assist in deciding such 
questions as these, we must compare closely the species found in the 
district with those of the other contiguous regions, and endeavour to 
ascertain whether they are identical, or only slightly modified, or 
whether they are highly peculiar. 
“ Yon Martius when he visited this part of Brazil forty years ago, 
coming from the south was much struck with the dissimilarity 
of the animal and vegetable productions to those of other parts of 
Brazil. In fact the fauna of Para, and the lower part of the 
Amazons has no close relationship with that of Brazil projier; but 
it has a very great affinity with that of the coast region of Guiana, 
from Cayenne to Demerara. If we may judge from the results 
afforded by the study of certain families of insects no peculiar 
Brazilian forms are found in the Para district; whilst more than one- 
half of the total number are essentially Guiana species, being found 
nowhere else but in Guiana and Amazonia. Many of them, however, 
are modified from the Guiana type, and about one-seventh seem to be 
restricted to Para. These endemic species are not highly peculiar, 
and they may yet be found over a great part of Northern Brazil 
when the country is better explored. They do not warrant us in 
concluding that the district forms an independent province, although 
they show that its fauna is not wholly derivative, and that the land 
is probably not entirely a new formation. Prom all these facts, I 
think we must conclude that the Para district belongs to the Guiana 
province and that, if it is newer land than Guiana, it must have 
received the great bulk of its animal population from that region. 
I am informed by Dr. Sclater that similar results are derivable from 
the comparison of the birds of these countries.” 
One of the most interesting excursions made by Mr. Bates from 
Para was the ascent of the river Tocantins—the mouth of which lies 
about 45 miles from the city of Para. This was twice attempted. On 
the second occasion—-our author being in company with Mr. Wallace 
-—the travellers penetrated as far as the rapids of Arroyos, about 130 
miles from its mouth. Tins district is one of the chief collecting- 
grounds of the well-known Brazil-nut (Bertholletia excelsa ), which is 
