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xvm CANELOS TO BANGS 167
Among the species already known may be mentioned
the fine Hookeria pendula, discovered by
Humboldt and Bonpland in New Granada, and the
Hemiragis aurea (Lam.), End., which adorned the
trunks of trees with its great clusters. , . .
The most precious of the Hepaticae are often, as
we know, very minute ; in order to find them a
scrupulous search made without haste is necessary.
In spite of that, he found some novelties, and among
them an unpublished genus, the Myrio-colea irrorata,
represented on Plate xxii. of his book, 1
perhaps the most interesting
which is
that he has ever found.
It was growing on bushes watered by the stream
of the Topo, and it is the only agreeable souvenir
he preserves of that river. All the Hepaticae
gathered in the valley of the Pastasa at a height
from 5500 down to 1000 feet, that is to say, from
the cataract of Agoyan downwards, belong to the
forest of Canelos, and, as will be seen from his
book, they are very numerous.
Banos lies just at the foot of Mount Tungu-
ragua, and upon its wooded sides there was plenty
to occupy the author, but he did not cease thinking
of the beautiful ferns he had seen on the other side
of the Topo, and as soon as paper arrived from
Guayaquil he made preparations for again penetrating
into the forest. With four cargueros, his
servant, and provisions for twelve days, he took the
Canelos roacl on the 6th of October. But the rains
had not yet abated on the eastern side of the Cordillera,
and when he arrived at the Topo he found
crossing impracticable. Two nights he waited on
1
Hefaticiz Amazonica et Andintz, iSS;.