Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

IN THE CINCHONA FORESTS 293
number of species diminishes rapidly, and higher up, towards the
limit of the forest, the huge masses of robust Sendtn. r,r. I
,epidozice,
and in some places of Frullanice,
the delicate Plagiochilse. Lejeuniae, on
leave little room
the contrary, are
for
hot
country plants.
LICHENS
Of Lichens, the foliaceous species are remarkably scarce.
Kpiphyllous lichens, whose abundance and variety is so notable a
feature of the vegetation of the Amazon, seem to attain their
upper limit in the Red Bark woods. The trunks of the trees are
generally too well covered with mosses to leave much room for
the development of crtistaceous lichens. Still, a good many
species exist, chiefly Graphidece, and I did not notice any lichen
on the Red Bark which does not grow indifferently on other sorts
of trees. . . .
Reserving the important subject of climate
to be last discussed, I resume my narrative of
operations.
In the month of July a report reached us that
an Englishman, bringing with him a number of
boxes, had arrived at Ventanas. On the strength
of this I immediately sent Dr. Taylor thither with
horses, and he had the great satisfaction of finding
the Englishman to be Mr. Cross. Ventanas, how-
ever, was so full of soldiery, and was so likely to
be soon the theatre of a conflict (for the opposing
army lay encamped only a few leagues lower down
the river), that Dr. Taylor very wisely had the
materials for the Wardian cases removed about
three hours' journey up the river, to a farm called
Aguacatal, where they were not likely
to be
molested.
Mr. Cross had had all sorts of obstacles thrown in
his way by the forces that held the river, and with
the greatest difficulty had found men to row his
canoes, so that the distance from Guayaquil to