Moths are also of great variety at Para; but most of them are diurnal in their time of flight, and keep company with the butterflies. I never

succeeded in finding many moths at night. In situations such as gardens and wood sides, where so many are to be seen in England, scarcely a single individual is to be found. I attribute this scarcity of nocturnal moths to the multitude of night-flying insectivorous animals, chiefly bats and goat-suckers, which perpetually haunt the places where they would be found. On the open commons a moth is seen flying about in broad daylight which is scarcely distinguishable from the common English Plusia Gamma. Several times I found the Erebus strix expanded over the trunks of trees, to the bark of which it is assimilated in colour. This is one of the largest moths known, some specimens measuring nearly a foot in expanse. Along the narrow paths in the forests, an immense number of clear-winged moths are found in the day-time; mostly coloured like wasps, bees, ichneumon flies, and other Hymenopterous insects. Some species of the same family have opaque wings, and wear the livery of different species of beetles; these hold their wings in repose, in a closed position over their bodies, so that they look like the wing-cases of the beetles they deceptively imitate.

The Libellulidz, or Dragon-flies, are almost equally conspicuous with the butterflies in open, sunny places. More than a hundred different kinds are found near Para; the numerous ditches and pools being, doubtless, favourable to their increase, for the adolescent states of the dragon-fly are passed in an element different from that in which the adult exists. ‘The species are not all confined to open, sunny places. Some are adapted to live only in the darkest shades of the forest, and these are, perhaps, the most beautiful, being brightly coloured and more delicate in structure than the others. One of them, the Chalcopteryx rutilans, is seen only near the shady rivulets which cross the solitary Magoary road. Its fore-wings are quite transparent, whilst the hind-wings have a dark ground-colour, which glitters with a violet and golden refulgence. All the kinds of dragon-flies wage an unceasing war with day-flying winged insects, and I am inclined to think that they commit as much. destruction in this way as birds do. I have often observed them chasing butterflies. They are not always successful in capturing them, for some of their intended victims, by a dodging manner of flight, contrive to escape their clutches. When a dragon-fly seizes his prey, he retires to a tree, and there, seated on a branch, devours the body at his leisure. The different species consume great quantities of small flies, especially during the brief twilight, when large flocks of the hawk-like creatures congregate to chase them over the swamps and about the tree-tops.

Bees and wasps are not especially numerous near Para, and I will reserve an account of their habits for a future chapter. Many species of Mygale, those monstrous hairy spiders, half a foot in expanse, which attract the attention so much in museums, are found in sandy places at Nazareth. The different kinds have the most diversified habits. Some construct, amongst the tiles or thatch of houses, dens of closely-woven web, which in texture very much resemble fine muslin; these are often seen crawling over the walls of apartments. Others build similar nests in trees, and are known to attack birds. One very robust fellow, the Mygale Blondii, burrows into the earth, forming a broad

slanting gallery, about two feet long, the sides of which he lines beautifully with silk. He is nocturnal in his habits. Just before sunset he may be seen keeping watch within the mouth of his tunnel, disappearing suddenly when he hears a heavy foot-tread near his hiding-place. The number of spiders ornamented with showy colours was somewhat remarkable. Some double themselves up at the base of leaf-stalks, so as to resemble flower-buds, and thus deceive the insects on which they prey. The most extraordinary-looking spider was a species of Acrosoma, which had two curved bronze-coloured spines, an inch anda half in length, proceeding from the tip of its abdomen. It spins a large web, the monstrous appendages being apparently no impediment to it in its work; but what their use can be I am unable to divine. Coleoptera, or beetles, at first seemed to be very scarce. This apparent scarcity has been noticed in other equatorial countries, and arises, probably, from the great heat of the sun not permitting them to exist in exposed situations, where they form such conspicuous objects in Europe. Many hundred species of the different families can be found, when they are patiently searched for, in the shady places to which they are confined. It is vain to look for the Geodephaga, or carnivorous beetles, under stones, or anywhere, indeed,

Acrosomaarcuatum. in open, sunny places. The terrestrial forms of this interesting family, which abound in England and temperate countries generally, are scarce in the neighbourhood of Pard—in fact, I met with only four or five species; on the other hand the purely arboreal kinds were rather numerous. The contrary of this happens in northern latitudes, where the great majority of the species and genera are exclusively terrestrial The arboreal forms are distinguished by the structure of the feet, which have broad spongy soles-and toothed claws, enabling them to climb over and cling to branches and leaves. The remarkable scarcity of ground beetles is doubtless attributable to the number of ants and Termites which people every inch of surface in all shady places, and which would most likely destroy the larvee of Coleoptera. These active creatures have the same functions as Coleoptera, and thus render their existence unnecessary. The large proportion of climbing forms of carnivorous beetles is an interesting fact, because it affords another instance of the arboreal character which animal forms tend to assume in equinoctial America, a circumstance which points to the slow adaptation of the Fauna to a forest-clad country, throughout an immense lapse of geological time.

The large collections which I made of the animal productions of Parad, especially of insects, enabled me to arrive at some conclusions regarding the relations of the Fauna of the south side of the Amazons Delta to those of neighbouring regions. 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 themselves, 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. Von 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 proper; 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 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 be yet 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. From 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.

The interesting problem, How has the Amazons Delta been formed? receives light through this comparison of Faunas. Although the portion of Guiana in question is considerably nearer Para than are the middle and southern parts of Brazil, yet it is separated from it by two wide expanses of water, which must serve as a barrier to migration in many cases. On the contrary, the land of Brazil proper is quite continuous from Rio Janeiro and Bahia up to Parad; and there are no signs of a barrier ever having existed between these places within recent geological epochs. Some of the species common to Pard and Guiana are not found higher up the river where it is narrower, so they could not have passed round in that direction. The question here arises, Has the mouth of the Amazons always existed as a barrier to migration since the present species of the contiguous regions came into

existence? It is difficult to decide the question; but the existing evidence goes far to show that it has not. If the mouth of the great river, which, for a long distance, is 170 miles broad, had been originally a wide gulf, and had become gradually filled up by islands formed of sediment brought down by the stream, we should have to decide that an effectual barrier had indeed existed. But the delta of the Amazons is not an alluvial formation, like those of the Mississippi and the Nile. The islands in its midst and the margins of both shores have a foundation of rocks, which lie either bare or very near the surface of the soil. This is especially the case towards the sea-coast. In ascending the river southward and south-westward, a great extent of country is traversed which seems to have been made up wholly of river deposit, and here the land lies somewhat lower than it does on the sea-coast. The rocky and sandy country of Marajo and other islands of the delta towards the sea, is so similar in its physical configuration to the opposite mainland of Guiana that Von Martius concluded the whole might have been formerly connected, and that the Amazons had forced a way to the Atlantic through what was, perhaps, a close series of islands, or a continuous line of low country.

CAL Len TV.

THE TOCANTINS AND CAMETA.

Preparations for the journey—The bay of Goajara—Grove of fan-leaved palms—The lower Tocantins—Sketch of the river—Vista alegre—Baiad—Rapids—Boat journey to the Guariba falls—Native life on the Tocantins—Second journey to

Cameta.

August 26th, 1848.—Mr. Wallace and I started to-day on the excursion which I have already mentioned as having been planned with Mr. Leavens, up the river Tocantins, whose mouth lies about forty-five miles in a straight line, but eighty miles following the bends of the river channels, to the south-west of Para. This river, as before stated, has a course of 1,600 miles, and stands third in rank amongst the streams which form the Amazons system. The preparations for the journey took a great deal of time and trouble. We had first to hire a proper vessel, a two-masted zzgz/imga twenty-seven feet long, with a flat prow and great breadth of beam, and fitted to live in heavy seas; for, although our voyage was only a river trip, there were vast sea-like expanses of water to traverse. It was not decked over, but had two arched awnings formed of strong wickerwork, and thatched with palm leaves. We had then to store it with provisions for three months, the time we at first intended to be away; procure the necessary passports; and, lastly, engage a crew. Mr. Leavens, having had much experience in the country, managed all these matters. He brought two Indians from the rice-mills, and these induced another to enrol himself. We, on our parts, took our cook, Isidoro, and a young Indian lad, named Antonio, who had attached himself to us in the course of our residence at Nazareth. Our principal man was Alexandro, one of Mr. Leavens’s Indians. He was an intelligent and well-disposed young Tapuyo, an expert sailor and an indefatigable hunter. To his fidelity we were indebted for being enabled to carry out any of the objects of our voyage. Being a native of a district near the capital, Alexandro was a civilised Tapuyo, a citizen as free as his white neighbours. He spoke only Portuguese. He was a spare-built man, rather under the middle height, with fine regular features, and, what was unusual in Indians, the upper lip decorated with a moustache. Three years afterwards I saw him at Para in the uniform of the National Guard, and he called on me often to talk about old times. I esteemed him as a quiet, sensible, manly young fellow. We set sail in the evening, after waiting several hours in vain for one of our crew. It was soon dark, the wind blew stiffly, and the tide

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