ch Mr
Sedgwick called an _anonaceous_ tree: it was about thirty feet high, and
its slender trunk was covered with large star-like crimson flowers,
which surrounded it like a garland, and Grace and Emily declared they
thought some one had come on purpose to adorn it. In one spot a number
of these trees grew all together, producing a most beautiful and
brilliant effect; others were immense trees with furrowed stems; and now
and then we came to a magnificent fig-tree, which was altogether unlike
any tree I had ever seen. It seemed as if its trunk had been divided
into hundreds of small stems and roots. The most curious, however, was
one which had its base eighty feet up from the ground, while that rested
on a wonderful pyramid of roots which, shooting downwards, spread out on
every side, while the branches started off and rose again to a vast
height above the stem. Then, again, from its branches hung down a
variety of creepers, like the shrouds of a vessel, to keep it apparently
from being blown away by a tornado.

I cannot attempt to describe all the beautiful butterflies we saw. Now
and then Mr Sedgwick made chase after one. Once he returned with one,
which he considered a valuable prize. The ground colour of its wings
was a rich shining black, the lower wings being of a delicate grey with
white, and bordered by a row of large spots of the most brilliant
satin-like yellow. The body was marked with shade spots of white,
yellow, and fiery orange, while the head and thorax were intense black.
The under sides of the lower wings were of soft white, the marginal
spots being half black and half yellow.

Scarcely had this one been caught, than he gave chase to another
superb-looking one, of a rich purple, variously tinged with ash colour,
a broad bar of deep orange running across the fore wings. Away it flew,
and we ran after to assist him, when it seemed to drop among some dried
leaves, and there it totally disappeared. What had become of it, we
could not tell, when suddenly, almost from before our eyes, it rose
again in the air, and gave us another chase, till it again disappeared
as before. At length we saw Mr Sedgwick fall almost prostrate, with
his net over the leaves; and then what appeared to be a dry leaf
suddenly rose and turned into a large butterfly. It was, however, under
his net, and was quickly made his prisoner. We soon discovered the
curious arrangement by which the creature is enabled to escape cap