know of has been here since Marcgrav and Piso about 1640; so it is easy to guess the state in which the natural history of such a country must be.
To give a catalogue of what I found would be a trouble very little to the purpose, as every particular is mentioned in the general catalogues of this place. I cannot, however, help mentioning some which struck me the most, and consequently gave me particular pleasure. These were chiefly the parasitic plants, especially Renealmiæ (for I was not fortunate enough to see one Epidendrum) and the different species of Bromelia, many not before described. Karratas I saw here growing on the decayed trunk of a tree sixty feet high at least, which it had so entirely covered that the whole seemed to be a tree of Karratas. The growth of the Rhizophora[1] also pleased me much, although I had before a very good idea of it from Rumphius, who has a very good figure of the tree in his Herb. Amboin. [v. iii. tab. 71, 72]. Add to these that the whole country was covered with the beautiful blossoms of Malpighiæ, Bannisteriæ, Passifloræ, not forgetting Poinciana and Mimosa sensitiva, and a beautiful species of Clusia, of which I saw great plenty; in short, the wildest spots here were varied with a greater quantity of flowers, as well as more beautiful ones, than our best-devised gardens; a sight infinitely pleasing for a short time, though no doubt the eye would soon tire with a continuance of it.
The birds of many species, especially the smaller ones, sat in great abundance on the boughs, many of them covered with most elegant plumage. I shot Loxia brasiliensis, and saw several specimens of it. Insects also were here in great quantity, many species very fine, but much more nimble than our European ones, especially the butterflies, almost all which flew near the tops of the trees, and were very difficult to come at, except when the sea breeze blew fresh, which kept them low down among the trees where they might be taken. Humming-birds I also saw of one species, but could not shoot them.
- ↑ Mangrove tree.
