17 "HE SILVAS, 
98 
which, for a number of months, no rain falls. "The part 
of the year in which it rains thus each day is called the 
wet season ; the other part, the dry season. They are 
Nearly alike in heat, for the larger part of South America 
has no winter. 
11.— IN THE SILVAS. 
8il’_va, ja-guar'. | Ri’-o [/ ’-_ de Ja-ne-L’-r0 [-na’-]. 
bo/-8 con-strie’-tor. Bra-zil'. va-ni]l’-la. 
1. BEYOND the marshes which border the stream on 
sach side, are immense forests, stretching away hun- 
dreds’of miles. The trees are not only of great size, 
but they stand so close together that their branches 
are interlocked and form a dense roof of green, through 
Which the sunbeams can hardly reach the earth. 
2. The whole space between the treecs, and beneath 
their branches, is one mass of reeds and other tall plants. 
T’housands of vines climb about them, stretching from 
tree to tree and hanging down from the branches, thus 
binding all so firmly together that, in some places, not 
Sven a footpath can be made through the forests with- 
Out an ax to cut the way. 
3. The low plants, the vines, and even many of the 
Sreat trees, are covered with the most beautiful flowers, 
Not only white, but erimson, purple, scarlet, and golden 
yellow. Asthere is no winter, the trees are at all times 
STowing, blooming, and bearing fruit. On some kinds, 
buds, flowers, green fruit, and ripened frnit my be 
found all at the same time. 
4, Living among the branches of the frees, are multi-