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page 159 ---Morro de Gravier---tree lilies---Canella d'Ema---mark of gold and diamonds---

Morro de Gravier, Minas Gerais : Printer's Hill

We were particularly surprised, as we were ascending the steep Morro de Gravier, a continuation of Serra do Ouro Branco, at seeing some arborescent lilies, the thick naked stems of which, divided in the manner of a fork in a few branches ending in a tuft of long leaves, and being frequently scorched on the surface by burning of the meadows, are some of the most singular forms in the vegetable kingdom. The two species which have these forms, barbacenia and vellosia, are called in the country, Canella d'Ema, and, on account of the resin they contain, are much used for fuel, wood being very scarce. They appear to thrive only on quartzy mica-slate, and are considered by the inhabitants as a characteristic mark of a country with an abundance of gold and diamonds. They are most frequently met with here at an elevation of from 2000 to 4000 feet, always accompanied by a variety of the prettiest shrubby rhexias, eriocaulon, and xyris.

How different are the feelings of the traveller when he passes from the dark low forests into the free and open tracts! On these serene and tranquil heights the noisy inhabitants of the wood are mute : we no longer hear the howling of herds of monkeys, the incessant screams of innumerable parrots, orioles, and toucans, the far-sounding hammering of the wood-peckers, the metallic notes of the uraponga, the full tones of manakins, the cry of the hoccos, jacus, & etc.

page 160 ---wildlife---elevated plains---

The more numerous are the humming-birds (1), buzzing like bees round the flowering shrubs; gay butterflies fluttering over the rippling streams; numerous wasps flying in and out of their long nests hanging suspended to the trees; and large hornets (morimbondos) hovering over the ground, which is undermined to a great extent with their cells. The red-capped and hooded fly-catcher (2), the barbudos and the barbets (3), little sparrow-hawk (4), the rusty red or spotted cabore (Brazilian owl) (5), bask on the shrubs during the heat of noon, and watch, concealed among the branches, for the small birds and insects which fly by; the tinamus walks slowly among the pineapple plants, the enapupes and nambus in the grass (6); single toucans (7) seeking berries, hop among the branches; the purple tanagers (8) follow each other in amorous pursuit from tree to tree; the caracara (9) and the caracari flying about the roads quite tame, to settle upon the backs of the mules or oxen.

(1) Hummingbirds: Trochilus superciliosus, Trochilus albus, Trochilus maculatus, Trochilus Mangoeus, Trochilus mellivorus, Trochilus viridis, Trochilus forficatus. (2) Fly-catchers Muscicapa coronata, Muscicapa Eremita nob. (3) Barbudos and barbets : Bucco Tamatia L., Bucco fuscus Lath., Bucco Barbican Tem. (4) Sparrow-hawk : Falco Sparverius, Falco aurantius. (5) Owl : Strix ferruginea, Strix palustris. (6) Tinamus brasiliensis, Tinamus variegatus, etc. (7) Toucan: Radicolorus. (8) Tananger : Tanagra Jacapa. (9) Vultures : Falco brasiliensis, Falco Polyborus Veill.