. “Jee Koon SS Fureey Bivene ah x ete : ~ < x ~ eves Leeane PV : : ee: _ , ¥ eect re ies Prey ay te Ime S : Tae “en ae ren os . ‘2. See oe i Apes ree! = nah enw a hr aah ee Bild ‘ FeO iG en pCa ; Division of Mollusks ‘SOTTO pound ouv DIUT]IOPUN Spso AA ‘uolIpodxea 94} JO 9JHOT 9} VYVOT PUT ~-* sHyy sourl peop x4 [— ALON “‘NVLVONA NYSHLYON JO dvVW ‘| aLwid aY22d Re ek By W209 Vo)jog o7°1o e ed e ODOud) @ ywensod “if CLIP A @ ; Seah. \ : ry oe ’ I} a S ov HOW ; ite, or ane er a 202) PIYPSS UDYdT © SOLON eat ie \ ” ye2dOX 5 BIS nw \ ae ene : ss 5 owott =< ‘“e- Se Sas osm : L NS o>? Od mo) , ae \eu sM\y © ve ' OMA, Www, ¢ A NATURALIST IN MEXICO BEING A VISIT TO CUBA, NORTHERN YUCATAN AND MEXICO. WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. BY FRANK COLLINS BAKER, Des > Nes re SECRETARY AND CURATOR, CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES; FELLOW OF THE ROCHESTER ACADEMY OF SCIENCES; MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CONCHOLOGISTS,; OF THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES; : ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS UNION. AUTHOK OF “ A Catalogue of the Echinodermata;” “Catalogue and Synonomy of the 1 Muricide;” “Catalogue of Mexican Mollusks,” Etc., Etc CHICAGO: DAVID OLIPHANT, PRINTER AND PUBLISHER. 1895 Copyrighted 1895, by F. C. BAKER. ERRATA ET CORRIGENDA. For the account of the early discovery and conquest of Yucatan, and for the measurements of the ruins of Uxmal and Labna, the author is indebted to Stevens’ ‘‘Incidents of Travel in Yucatan. - For the data used in the descriptions and measurements of the mountains, and for the identifications of, and some notes on, the birds and of the land and fresh-water shells, the author is indebted to the papers of Messrs. Angelo Heilprin, H. A. Pilsbry and Witmer Stone, published in the proceedings of the Philadelphia Academy of Science, 1890-93. Page 1, 4th line, for Orizaba read City of Alexandria. Page 81, 2nd line, for thermometer read barometer. Page 123, figure. This figure is inaccurate; the white band onthe end of the tail is absent in 7. vociferus, but present in 7. tyrannus. PREFACE. In presenting this little volume to the public, a word or two in explanation of the circumstances which gave it birth may not be deemed inappropriate. The author had originally intended making a little pamphlet covering some of the more interesting experiences of the Mexican Expedition. It has been thought, however, that the important nature of the expedition and the linking together of narrative, science, and history (a combination not often attempted by authors) were circumstances sufficient to justify its publication in a more pretentious form. The tour which forms its subject was undertaken under the auspices of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the author acting as Zoologist. The expedition was under the leader- ship of Professor Angelo Heilprin, Curator-in-charge of the Philadelphia Academy, and its object was to collect data and specimens illustrating the fauna, flora, and Geology of Yucatan and Southern Mexico, with a consideration of the high mountain peaks of the Mexican Plateau. For full accounts concerning the scientific portion of the expedition, the reader is respectfully referred to the Proceedings ofthe above Academy from 18go to 1895. The illustrations used are mostly from photographs taken by the party, together with sketches made by the author. The majority of new species of mollusks discovered by the expedition are figured in the following pages. As to the literary character of the work, if not so good as might be wished, it is yet such as circumstances have permitted. The text has been written during the leisure hours of a busy pro- fessional life, which fact will explain, if it does not excuse, its errors. The author has endeavored to picture the scenes which came under his observation, as they appeared to him. The author desires to express his gratitude to the friends, both in Mexico and the United States, who have in various ways assisted him. He trusts that this little sketch of a naturalists experiences may awaken a scientific interest in this little under- stood country. FRANK CoLuIns BAKER. Chicago Academy of Sciences, July, 1895. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I, Dolphins—Gulf Stream—Havana—Botanical Garden— Progreso—Col. Glenn—Hotel Yucateco—Merida—Old Gate— Cathedral—Birds—History — Market—Francisean Convent— Atrival “at Construction: Cam pi. ao. 24d Seis SG ee oe eee oer CHAPTER: II. First Morning at Camp—Isaac McGinty—Henequen— Sitilpech—Cenotes—-Native Dance—Mexican Parrot—Leaf- cutting Ant—Cacti — Goat-suckers — Preparing Tortillas— Large Mound—Izamal......-.--+.+seeeeee sas Rial)» ane eteh acted ae CHAPTER-IHTI. Apparent Scarcity of Birds—Curious Lizards—Mollusks not Plentiful—Santa Cruz—Intense Cold—Large Cave—Ticul Church and Convenitess. ioet oe gee een Sr ee CHAPTER IV, Hacienda of Uxmal—House of the Dwarf—Ruined State of Buildings—House of the Governor—Elaborate Sculpture— House of the Nuns—Sculptured Lynx—Hacienda of Tabi— Cave of Loltun—Cave of Bolonehen®.*..: 22.5 5 rca oeee eens CRAPPER Y.: Ruins of Labna—Arched Gateway—Garrapatas—Birds Seen —Spanish Conversation— Agriculture in Yucatan— American Consul—Marine Animals -~-- Mollusks— Yucatan Civilization—Phosphotesence:... 02240055 oseak he to eee eee CHAPTER VI. City of Veracruz—Yellow Fever—Atoyac River—Cordoba —City of Orizaba— El Porrego—Small Plaza— Beautiful Seenery—Village of Nogales—Mollusks—Cerro de Escamela —Fossils—Town of Maltrata—San Andres Chalechicomula.... 19 32 39 50 61 CHAPTER VII. Humming-birds—Maguecy and Pulque—The Ascent of Orizaba—Hard Climbing—A Cold Night—Effect of Rarefied Pee MeTe—SPeCles Of BILGE v2 esse ween ce gene ke cae t oc vale oe’ CHAPTER VIII. City of Mexico — Patios—Plaza Major—Paseo de la Reforma—Interesting objects—Soldiers—Famous Cathedral— Grand View—National Palace—Hand Tree—Academy of San Carlos—Aztec Feather Work—National Library—Names of Streets—Hotels and Theatres—Monte de Piedad—National Museum—Rare Specimens—Birds— Antiquities—Anales of wT ESASIIE TPS Sean SSS Re OD A i RS aS Eo aN a Pe CHAPTER IX. Chapultepec—Helix—‘‘West Point’? of Mexico—Poople of Mexico— Peon—Mestizo — Creole — Leporos — Aquador— ASG ei Ort siete 8s) Seite SL, See Re fetayeierake, stetcake ats CHAPTER X. Amecameca— Mountain Scenery — Popocatepetl — Giant Crater—Steep Ascent—La Cima—La Gran Ciudadxde Lerma— Extinct Volcano — Toluca — Native Home — Ixtaccihuatl — Terrific Thunder Storm—Huge Glavier—Once the Giant of Peressauee Bribe At ES hes sf akeier tic front eta siesta dts Sis c GR a ses blak CHAPTER XI. Zopilote Canon—Morelia--Patzcuaro—Hilly Town—Lake Patzcuaro — Magnificent View—Duck Shooting — Peculiar Canoes —Uninhabited Island—Mullusks—Valley of Jorullo— Change of Climate—Voleano of Jorullo—Crater—La Playa— Cinco de Mavo's. coo... wr seatr aber otte toler wing, Wairoa er wis asa idle aidan wn eione acca CHAPTER XII. Sacro Monte—Cuautla—Town of Yautepec—Cerro de Calveria—New Species Discovered—Cretaceous Limestone— Concert of Frogs—Zumpango—Drainage of Mexico—Tree of the Sad Night—Town of Tehuacan—Beautiful Mosaics—San Antonio—Absence of Animal, Lifes. 2... .cc..0cie0ccesde ee dus 75 82 99 104 117 CHAPTER XIII. Battle of Cerro Gordo—Jalapa—Vanilla Plant—Convent of San Francisco—Playing the Bear—Mexican Courtship —Lover’s Guide—Ancient Population—Village of San Juan Primeval Forest—Lycopodiums—Giant Trees—Paroquets— Return to V eraerz. shed. seek cmcnkinint ce ee es eee ee CHAPTER XIy. City of Vera Cruz—A City of the Dead—Population— Plaza — Alameda — Zopilote— Poor Harbor—Coral Reefs-— Abundant Invertebrate Life—Crabs—Mullusks—Sad Accident Journey HOME. s/c crate beets facet ae aed ila xe isd) abe’ a antidote 133 BP Oe ST OR Sr xe eaae as Lal 25s 32. 37) ILLUSTRATIONS. MET TOP NUCH EAIE gee sock ire hao ee ens se ae Frontispiece. PARE taY NVERIUich sae eos cer ate es Ud Bitte skis Pow Ai vase lne ees II Group of Native Yucatecans ...........cce ee ecee sect eens 13 iret ney Be Oo ec ee oe ei acce Fa ea oe woes awe 25 Skianine: Birds at) Tiunkas os) a. 0.5 3. ove Rone re re. 27 iescte amy CLs in ow le os Ait oe oe ented eee Sieeerene a Simiealte B sie S Wiwie wa 28 Cylindrella Spelunce, var Dubia........----..ee eee eeees 33 ERC SG Ol PIGS) Wath oc Since fe Sales Slut s a eras Ga eie bela siedle s 40 Room in the House of the Governor. .-........cccceesees 2 PMI Vay P OUI Triad so Vince sdk A He afusn wcrc eve nae ojo ee wastes 45 Oryzosoma.Tabiensis, Pilsbrty. 2.2. ics aiee cies de oe ewes vole 47 Weenies Tea in IVE, wiistar ne mths © eS au Uc sai ahalol grdiacoinne naetO x wlewet 50 Ruined Buildings ead CRE ane TAREE RNA ope CLD Ce TL eT ee 51 ATT COE AN SRE ee oc eee ies Sadi enaceid, e7S ed wane tee ie ip Biel a elrsesschs 2 AO ss WTNH EM tre sta Soe a eset ier ola o& ere ret eaae Riohasia ess elie eld ale: ost 6o Biota Cem ira, WE CKICO: << aa cenid frase thr ove c a wieieeteiecsl Gea are 61 PMN RO PLANES © ocalie, gos etal css Sos Sena coh cv oiga lee aieah oie tala ble Bteaur| ai eis Semto 63 Reeve aL PAINS Nel CATE ake nein aso 5 Jew wi a0s om) my oie a axetalwib She may the 69 rea eben PME OMSa LOW SIO y vats ete = oo! dicha'sja.0 ocersial a tia we sein ale, Ww aiene WI Sie NSCB ees teat icin oh ech cena eae eek ieee 'o Grwssial'e aly & Da ERE 73 POR AC AER COROT Le tiarsce atx storeys Shia baie tie go w'biw cals a Grats @hcade 75 Wir Canmore. OPIS cv a ations mick tuleterc (6 ale sina clot atin s 78 Be ek Ch) BUSES Siete es aetna Wisk tack At Shae wise bia wha Me oe Merere ane So Oe a EGER Le ciao cae ais teres ehecainin tele a ewe ba (neha. anew, euetis to ules od ahehacd 86 RMI AMI GUT IES! weak Goose lem a5 ale otis c, has Excess cle tele 97 PM ie PAS CT, OVEN: 2 Siu cy nispere o\esnseho-e Ale sib (ereiy nye ee widteheoiSiels wild 99 NUS MEE ROAST TOGK Rook sie 5 oo od cxtowes Oued tia ask bone Le 100 eee Create Sild ein. « clad nas Gln swe sro eRe ew eke 102 [SEIPEYEXCSy CWE be ho Lara oe hg ake igh Se ra PERRY area" Be lal RE aI Ea 113 Beemer te PG WEAPICCE. oii sack core wsle's ba cloves Gc few Sas Phere dae 119 payee ete tisers ETLia wo, n6 Aaa. ann oye eras wie niece ous mye aos os See 121 Pla monoid. Remit. Ob bth ys as ase x te ays--0.0 8 suene ye sc iaje ohne oe - IBY Paceite. Vialiey- Or SOTUMO. tats = fy xied es sec Ha. ep since meee hie ne 122 Murat TUS “V. OOTICEUS: 0 Wis we a teney sesh «claro sla 6 wnat dod Ba eae" e 123 PUA DCeAATONOWL SI ON THULO 555 inhabited this city. In fact, everything about these ornaments seemed to point to the fact that they were hieroglyphics, intended to represent the history of these strange people. The rear elevation of this building was a solid wall, without doorways or openings of any kind. The two ends - ELABORATE SCULPTURE. 43 were thirty-nine feet deep, and had each a single doorway. The scuJptured ornaments were very much simpler on the ends and rear than those in front. The roof was flat and was originally cemented, but the cement had become broken, and the whole was now covered with a mass of vegetation. . There were eleven doorways in front and one at each end. The doors were all gone, and the wooden lintels had rotted away and fallen. In front and in the center were grand flights of steps ascending the three terraces, but they were in a ruinous condition. The interior was divided longitudinally by a wall into two corridors, and these again, by cross partitions, into ob- long rooms. These rooms communicated with the exterior by doorways, the inner one being exactly opposite the outer one. The floor was of cement, in many places broken, and covered all over with fallen débris from the ceiling and walls. . The terraces upon which stood the Casa del Gobernador were very interesting, and a description of the building would not be complete without a description also of these terraces. The lowest was three feet high, fifteen feet broad (it formed part of a shelving mound), and five hun- dred and seventy-five feet long; the second was twenty feet high, two hundred and fifty feet wide, and five hundred and forty-five feet in length; the third was nineteen feet high, thirty feet broad, and three hundred and sixty feet long. The second terrace was still in a good state of preservation, but the others were more or less in ruins. The whole was covered with a rank growth of bushes, weeds, and small trees, so we were not able to well make out all the characters. To the left of the House of the Governor rose a gigantic mound, sixty-five feet in height, and three hundred at the base. Its sides were covered with a rank growth of vege- tation, which helped not a little in its ascent. On the top 44 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. was a great platform of solid stone, seventy-five feet square; fifteen feet from the top was a narrow terrace running around on the four sides. The corners once bore sculptured ornaments, but the remains were now all that was visible. In one side of the mound, at the narrow terrace before spoken of, was a small chamber about four feet square, but aside from this not a hole was to be seen. From the sum- mit a grand view could be had, showing a well wooded plain in the distance, and the ruined city lying at its base. In a line directly north of this mound was another large building—the Cas de las Monjas, or House of the Nuns. This building was quadrangular, with a courtyard in the center. It stood on the higher of three terraces; it was two hundred and seventy-nine feet long, and above the cornice, from one end to the other, was ornamented with sculpture. In the center was a gateway ten feet wide, leading to the courtyard. On each side of this gateway were four door- ways, opening to apartments twenty-four feet wide and seventeen feet high; these rooms had no communication with each o:her. The building that formed the right or eastera side of the quadrangle was one hundred and fifty-eight feet long; that on the left was one hundred and seventy-three feet long, and the range of buildings opposite, or at the end of the quadrangle, measured two hundred and sixty-four feet. These three ranges of buildings had no doorways on the outside, but the interior of each was a blank wall, and above the cornice all were ornamented with rich sculpture. The courtyard upon which these four buildings faced was two hundred and fourteen feet wide, and two hundred and fifty-eight feet deep. The first building spoken of contained sixteen rooms, in two rows of eight, the outside not opening upon the courtyard. The face of this building was covered with the most elaborately sculptured ornaments, most con- spicuous among which were two colossal serpents entwined, HOUSE OF THE NUNS. 45 which encompassed nearly all the other ornaments. The other two buildings were about the same size, and almost equally as rich in ornamentation. Fronting the entrance gate was a lofty building, two hundred and sixty-four feet long, standing ona terrace twenty feet high. It was ascended by a grand staircase ninety-five feet wide, flanked on each side by a building with sculptured front, and having three doorways, each leading to an apartment. The height of this building to the upper cornice was twenty-five feet. It had thirteen doorways, over each of which rose a_ perpendicular wall ten feet wide and seventeen feet high, above the cornice. The stair- case was very much in ruins, as in- deed were all the buildings. In one of the wings of this building was seen the curious Maya arch, built without a keystone. THE MAYA ARCH. Near the Casa de las Monjas was another building, the Casa de las Tortugas, or House of the Turtles, but it was in such a state of ruin that a description was impossible. Away to the southwest lay the range of ruined walls known as the Casa de Palomos, or House of the Pigeons. It was two hundred and forty feet long; the front was very much in ruins, and the apartments filled with the fallen débris. On the roof, running longitudinally along its center, was a range of structures built in pyramidal form, re- sembling some of the old Dutch houses. These were originally nine in number, built of stone, about three feet thick, and had small oblong openings through them. It was from these holes, resembling pigeon houses, that the _building derived its name. The names of all the buildings were misnomers, given by the Spanish residents and not by 46 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. the natives. This building was very much in ruins, but enough remained to show that it once contained a large courtyard in its center. Several other ruined buildings lay buried among the underbrush, but they were in such a fallen condition that it was useless to make a-study of them. Such was Uxmal,one of the most interesting of the ruins of Central America. Ruin and decay have been steadily at work, and before many years have passed, this famous relic of the ancient Mayas will be a thing of the past. Over all the buildings arank vegetation is struggling for the mastery, and the end is inevitable. Uxmal is probably better known to the general public than any other of the Yucatan ruins, on account of the published writings of Stevens, LePlongeon, Charnay, Norman, Waldeck, and others. It was with many regrets that we entered our volans, and saw the ruined city disappear from our view. Animal life was remarkably rare about the ruins. A few bats, insects, dead mollusks, and occasionally a fly- catcher, were all we saw. It is quite possible that during the rainy season, life is much more abundant. | Lunch was taken at the Hacienda of Uxmal. Here I saw many sculptured figures which had been taken from the ruins. Among others was a large sculptured ornament, representing a double headed lynx, with the bodies joined together in the middle. It was carved from one piece of stone, and must have been a tremendous undertaking. The sculpture, however, was rude and uncouth, as were all the ornaments at Uxmal. At four o’clock we again entered our volans and started for Ticul, arriving there late in the evening. Our ride over the Sierra was something of an experience, for we went gal- loping down the steep slopes, the volan swaying from side to side in a way most alarming to weak nerves. A very noticeable feature of Yucatan evenings was the silence which HACIENDA OF TABI, . 47 seemed to reign supreme over the woods. Hardly a sound could be heard, save the clatter of the volan, the voice of the driver as he urged the mules, or the occasional cry of some wild animal. On the following morning we again set forth, this time to visit the Hacienda of Tabi, owned by Sefor Fajada, and also to visit a large cave and the ruins of Labna. Our road was very rough and rocky, and bordered by dense woods. At eleven o’clock we came to the clearing in which was sit- uated the Hacienda of Tabi. It was a noble building of good proportions, built of stone, and of two stories. The cattle-yard was large, shaded by fine ramon trees (a species of tropical oak), with here and there a towering cocoa-palm, and filled by a large herd of cattle. Ihave already given the reader some idea of a hacienda in Yucatan, with its cattle-yards, its great tanks of water, and other accessories. All these were upon a large scale, equal to any we had seen. Besides the hacienda building, native huts, etc., there was arum distillery and sugar refinery, from both of which Senor Fajada derived an immense revenue For the safety of the hacienda against the marauding natives of the interior, there was acompany of soldiers stationed here. About the cocoa- palms in the cattle-yard large flocks of grackles were flying; these birds seemed always to congregate about haciendas, but were never found in the forests. In one portion of the cattle-yard I discovered a small land snail which proved to be a new species (Oryzosoma Tabiensts, _ Pilsbry). At dinner I tasted a dish of which I had heard much, but until this time had not tasted—cuttle-fish. It was a small species of Octopus found abundantly on the coast, and oByYzosomA was very palatable, tasting much like chicken. pierre Early in the afternoon we started for the Cave of Lol- tun, situated a league from the hacienda. The road for the 48 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. distance of two miles was level, and bordered fields of hene- quen; it then ascended at a moderate angle until we reached an abrupt openiug, circular in outline, fully sixty feet in cir- cumference, seeming a magnificent entrance to a great tem- ple for the worsh p of the god of nature. We first des- cended by a succession of short ladders laid against the face of the wall of the cavern, and entered a large, vaulted cavern about sixty feet in height, lighted from the mouth. In this chamber were many weird and gigantic stalactites incrusted with the disintegrated earth, which gave them a brownish tinge. Fromhere weentered a second chamber about twenty feet below,in which wasa mcst beautiful display of stalactitic - srowth; here were gigantic columns of pure, white calcite, reaching from the floor to the roof above. We had been told of numerous figures and objects of domestic utensils used by the ancient inhabitants, which were to be found in this cave, but as was most usually the case we were doomed to disappointment, for the so called figures were nothing more than the huge stalactitic columns before us. . From this chamber we journeyed on by a downward, shelving path, and entered another of surpassing weirdness; it was fully three hundred feet in diameter, and lighted from a circular hole in the roof, eighty feet above, through which streamed the sunlight. At one end of this large chamber was a smaller one,about as large as a good sized room. Against the wall of this apartment was a most delicious fountainof clear, cold water, bubbling up from a hollow stal- agmite, When emptied of its contents this fountain slowly filled again, but did not run over. The exact temperature. we were, unfortunately, not able to determine. From this small chamber several dark passages branched:to right and left, but they had not been explored, and the guides would not enter them. Recrossing the large cavern we entered a dark passage, fifty feet in height, CAVE OF BOLONCHEN. 49 which led to a huge cavern strewn with broken rocks which had fallen from the roof above. For the space of twenty minutes we clambered over these boulders, and finally reached a level path in a passage some fifteen or twenty feet high and twenty-five in width. The floor was broken into ripple-marks, like those on a sea-shore, and looked as though water had flowed over it at some distant day. This path was followed for some distance, when it branched in several di- rections; one branch led,straight ahead and was said to lead to a small village some six miles away, and was used by the ancient Mayas as a place of retreat when hard pressed by their enemies. The other passages led through a laby- rinth of stalactitic columns, and we did not explore them. As evening was approaching, we returned to the hacienda. This cave was but one of many such which are scattered throughout Yucatan. The whole surface of the country is flat and without a water course of any kind, so that the in- habitants are compelled to depend upon the water obtained in cenotes, caves, and tanks for their supply. There are numerous streams throughout the country in the depths of these caves; one notable instance is the Cave of Bolonchen, in which, at the depth of some four hundred feet, a stream of good water is found. This is probably true of all the caves, although some have not yet been explored sufficiently to determine whether all are thus supplied or not. As the country is composed of transition limestone it is natural that numerous caves should abound, and that the water should seek its lowest level in the softest rock. CHAPTER V, THE next morning we set out for the ruins of Labna. Our road lay southeast, among the hills, and was very picturesque. A damp fog hung over everything, and the air was quite cold. It was infact a most dismal day. At the distance of two leagues » we reached a field of forest. The first building we t2f A= saw was the most curious and = -extraordinary structure we had yet seen, surmounting a A VOLAN COCHE. pyramidal mound forty-five feet high. The steps had fallen, and trees and Maguey plants were growing out of the place where they had stood. A nar- row platform formed the top of the mound. The building faced the south, and when entire measured forty-three feet in front and twenty feet in width. It had three doorways, of which one, together with ten feet of the whole structure, had fallen, and now lay a mass of ruins. The center door- way opened into two chambers, each twenty feet long and six feet wide. Above the cornice of the building rose a gigantic per- pendicular wall thirty feet high, which had once been or- namented from one side to the other with colossal figures, now broken and in fragments, but still presenting a curious appearance. Along the top, standing out on the wall, was a row of deaths’ heads; underneath were two lines ot human figures in alto relievo. Over the center doorway was a colossal seated figure, of which only detached portions now remained. The wall was tottering and ready to fall, and ARCHED GATEWAY. 51 a crack had already separated the remaining portion; it is only a question of a few years when the whole of this wonderful building will be a mere shapeless mound. At the distance of a few hundred feet from this structure was an arched gateway, remarkably beautiful in its proportions and grace of ornament. On the right, run ning off at an angle of thirty-five degrees, was a long build- ing much in ruins. On the left it formed an angle with an- other building. The gateway was ten feet wide, and fifteen feet high, passing through which we entered a spacious RUINED BUILDING. courtyard overgrown with weeds and small trees. The doors of the apartments on both sides of the gateway, each twelve feet by eight, opened upon this area. Above the cornice, the face of the building was richinsculpture. The buildings around the courtyard formed a great irregular pile, measuring in all two hundred feet in length. Northeast from the mound on which stood the great wall, and about one hundred and sixty yards distant, was a large building, erected on a terrace, and hidden among the trees growing upon it, with its front much ruined. Still further in the same direction was another large building of really magnificent proportions. It stood on a large terrace, four hundred feet long and one hundred and fifty feet deep. The whole terrace was covered with buildings. The front of the building measured two hundred and eighty feet in 52 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. length. It consisted of three distinct parts, differing very much in style. The whole long fagade was ornamented with sculptured stone, of good workmanship. On the left end of the principal building, in the angle of the corner, was the most curious and elaborate ornament we had as yet seen. It represented the open jaws of an alligator, enclos- ing a human head. In the platform in front of the buildings were several circular holes leading to subterranean chambers, dome- shaped, eleven feet long, seven wide and ten high, to the center of the arch. These chambers were probably used as storehouses for maize. As we observed at Uxmal, the facade below the cornice was of plain stone without orna- mentation of any kind, while above it was covered with sculptured stones. There were about twenty doors facing the front, and the rear elevation was perfectly blank. Above this building, and built upon its roof, was a second, much smaller, with an elaborately sculptured facade. This building was divided into several rooms. The doors here had an addition, not before observed in any building in Uxmal; this was two pillars of stone dividing the doorway into threeapertures. This character was not observed in the buildings below. The roof was much fallen and overgrown with large and small trees, which were running their roots into the crevices among the stones, and slowly but surely causing the ruin of these interesting relics of by-gone days. In the interest of our work, I had not discovered that thousands of garrapatas were crawling over me, These insects are the scourge of Yucatan, and altogether were a more constant source of annoyance and suffering than any we encountered in the country. These, in color, size, and num- bers, were like grains of sand, and dispersed themselves all over my body, getting into the seams of my clothes, and burying themselves in my flesh, Their habit was to attach RUINS OF LABNA. PLATE Iv BIRDS SEEN. 53 themselves to the skin by plunging their proboscis into it, and thus suck the blood until their flat bodies were dis- tended into a globular form. | It was very curious that so few birds were seen about the ruins. Among those observed were the Guatemalan Woodpecker, Uxmal Woodpecker, Ruby-throated Hum- mingbird, Mexican Kingbird, and a single specimen, which we obtained, of Gray’s Thrush. Glandina Cylindraca, one of the most abundant mollusks of Yucatan, was found here in considerable numbers. Another abundant species was the Chondropoma Largillierti, a beautiful yellowish-white shell with rows of brown spots. Bulimulus tropicalis and Cyclotus Dysont, a beautiful ribbed species, and a /le/icina, were the common forms seen. One new variety of Cylindrella was found (C. spelunce, var. dubia). A single snake (Dryophis Julgidus) was seen and captured. A rabbit was also seen, but not obtained. Insects were not seen (excepting the troublesome garrapatas). It was with much regret that we left the region without visiting the other ruined cities of the country—Chichen Itza, Xampon, Kabah, Chunhuhu, etc. —and comparing their arch- itecture with that of Uxmaland Labna. The predominating character, however, was that they were all built upon arti- ficial pyramids or terraces, A truncated pyramid supported a building of greater or lesser dimensions. The walls were very thick, many of them faced onthe interior with carved stones, and presenting richly sculptured fagades, sculptured in bas-relief. Human heads, figures of men and animals, and hieroglyphics consisting of squares, scrolls, and other geometric figures, constituted the principal ornamentation. Although these ruins have been studied by the most famous archeologists of the present century, yet little is known concerning their history. A short ston was made at the Hacienda of Tabi, and then we started for Ticul, arriving there shortly after dark, 54 : A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. During our two days sojourn in Ticul, we added largely to our collections. Here I was, unfortunately, laid up with fever and not able to do much collecting. While | preparing insects or skinning birds in the house, the window which opened into the courtyard was generally filled with men and boys, who would wait for hours, watching our operations with the most untiring curiosity. They would whisper among themselves, and as we dexterously removed a skin, they would give exclamations of wonder. And then they would guess as to what we were going to do withthem; some thought they were to show, and others that we used them as medicine. Our stay in Ticul was marred by my sickness, having been seized the second day with an attack of dysentery, which confined me to my hammock for some time. The balance of the party, however, did good work, and added largely to our collections. During my indisposition I took my meals, when strong enough, in a café near the plaza. Nothing but Spanish was spoken, of course, and at every meal the following dialogue took place. It 1s a fair sample of the restaurant conversation between native and foreigner: Tiene Va. pan? Have you bread. Sz, Senor. Yes, sir. Y huevos fretoas? And fried eggs? Sz, Senor. Yes, ‘Sir; Y cafe? And coffee? Sz, Senor. Yes, sir. Y carne frio? And cold meat? Sz, Senor. Yes, sir. Traigame Vad. todo. Bring me all. St, Senor. Ves, sir. Our explorations in this direction were productive of good results, so far as the avifauna was concerned. The Mexican Ground Dove was very common about the AGRICULTURE IN YUCATAN, 55 towns and haciendas, The Aztec Paroquet was seen in small flocks about the mountains near Ticul. The Groove-billed Ani, or Crotophaga, was everywhere abund- ant. After dark, on the roads, the Parauque was seen frequently. The little Cinnamon Humming-bird was quite common in the suburbs of Ticul. The Least Fly- catcher, Yellow-bellied Green Jay, and Great-tailed Grackle were quite common. The Yucatan Cardinal was one of the most beautiful and conspicuous birds. At Ticul it was com- monly seen about the slopes of the mountains. Among the smaller birds, the following were seen and many captured: White-eyed Vireo, Parula Warbler, Sycamore Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Yucatan Mockingbird, and Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher. Many of these small birds were seen feeding on the berries of the Palmetto trees. Gray’s Thrush (erula grayi) was seen about Ticul, but none captured at that place. One was shot by Mr. Stone at Labna. Our visit occurred during the dry season, and was not the best for ornithological purposes. Later in the season, we were told, occurs a migration of birds north- ward, and at that time they are much more numerous, both in species and individuals. On the 18th we left Ticul for Merida. The road be- tween Ticul and Merida bordered large tracts of ground, in which henequen and corn were being cultivated. The system of agriculture in Yucatan is rather primative. Be- sides hemp and sugar, the principal products of the country are corn, beans, and calabazas, like our pumpkins and squashes, camotes, like our’ potatoes, and chile or pepper, of which last an enormous quantity is consumed, both by native and Spaniard. Indian corn, however, is the great staple, and the cultivation of this probably differs but little from the system followed by the natives before the conquest. In the dry season, generally in the months of January and 56 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO, February, a place is selected in the woods, from which the trees are cutdown and burned. In May or June the corn is planted. This is done by making little holes in the ground with a pointed stick, putting in afew grains of corn and covering them over. Once in the ground, it is left to take care of itself Thecorn has a fair start with the weeds, and thus keep pace together. The hoe and plough are here un- known; indeed, the plough could be of but little use here on account of the stony nature of the ground; the machete, a long, hatchet-like knife, is the only instrument employed. While in Merida we called upon the American Consul, Mr. Thompson, who is a most enthusiastic archeologist. He had himself discovered upwards of forty ruined cities, before unknown. Hehad accumulated quite a collection of hatchets, vases, birds, and other relics found about the ruins. What was of the greatest interest to me was his superb col- . Jection of photographs, numbering many hundred, of all the large ruins.* From him we learned that during the wet season, animal life is very abundant, and many species of birds are found which do not live here in the dry season. At three o’clock in the afternoon we left Merida for Progreso, there to spend a few days before leaving the country for Veracruz. Col. Glenn and his wife left us at Merida, to return to the construction camp. During the evening, we all enjoyed a much needed bath in the waters of the Gulf. The next four days we spent in collecting, and as bird- life was very abundant, we added considerably to our already full collections. Back of the town was a broad lagoon in- habited by many species of aquatic birds. Flocks of gulls were seen flying overhead, uttering their well-knowncry, and herons of several species wading about the swampy portion. The land bordering the Gulf was sandy and covered with a *NoTE.—The ruins of Yucatan in front of the Anthropological Building of the World’s Columbian Exposition, were the work of this gentleman, MARINE ANIMALS, 57 growth of low, thorny bushes, interspersed with tall cocoa- palms. In this scrubby portion we shot a number of very interesting specimens. The little Cactus Wren was very abundant, constantly on the move among the _ bushes, and very difficult to shoot. We frequently saw the Man-o- War Bird flying several hundred yards off shore, but although we fired at them constantly, we were not able to shoot one. In the mangroves bordering the lagoon we found numerous small birds, among them a number of flycatchers. These birds were the most abundant in Yucatan, both in species and individuals. About the edges of the mangroves the White-rumped Swallow, Great Blue Heron, Killdeer Plover, White Egret, and Louisiana Heron were quite abundant; the Blue-winged Teal was often seen, but not in any numbers. The Kingbird was not uncommon. Of this bird (Zyrannus melancholicus) we obtained three specimens. The same species (apparently) was seen in the interior, al- though but one specimen was shot in the latter region, and that differed in some respects from the Progreso specimens. The Progreso specimens are much lighter beneath and con- tain much less red in the crest, than in the inland bird. ‘We spent most of our afternoons and evenings in wan- dering up and down the beach, picking up the specimens which had been thrown up by the last tide. During our stay, I observed the habits of many of the common marine animals. Among others, a large sea-slug (Aplysia) was very common. This mollusk is about five inches long; of a dirty yellowish color, veined with purple. It feeds on the delicate sea-weeds which grow among the stones in shallow water. When disturbed, this slug emits a fine purplish-red fluid, which stains the water for some distance. These harmless creatures were once supposed to be poisonous, on account of this purple fluid. In many places the beach was fairly heaped with dead 58 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. shells, while in others it was nearly clean, being one vast extent of smooth, glistening sand. I enumerated about fifty species, mostly confined to the class Gastropoda. The Pelecypods were few in species, but numerous in individuals, more so in fact than the Gastropods. Of the predominat- ing genera I noted the following: Sfuleur, Crepidula, Columbella, Fasctolaria, Strombus, Olivella, Venus, Arca, Pinna, and Ostrea. Venus cancellata was very common and of extreme interest, as it is found fossil throughout the interior. The little O@vella mutica was as common as on the first day we hunted for it, four weeks ago. By the side of an old, wrecked hull of a schooner, ! found a heap of shells in which I reaped my greatest harvest. Inside the old schooner I found a colony of Aelampas (M. coffeus), from which I collected a dozen or more specimens. This abundance of material indicated a rich zoological province off the Yucatan banks, and this indication has been proven correct by the dredgings of the United States Fish, Coast and Geodetic Survey Steamer ‘‘Blake” in the last fifteen years. On the afternoon of the 22d, we left Progreso and em- barked on the City of Alexandria, which was to sail next day for Veracruz. A word in relation to the derivation of the word Yucatan, before we leave the country. It is sup- posed by some to have been derived from the plant known as Yuca, and ¢hale, the heap of earth in which this plant grows; the most general belief is that it is derived from cer- tain words spoken by the natives in answer to the question: ‘‘What is the name of this country?” and the answer, ‘‘I do not understand your words,” which expression, in the language of the natives, has some resemblance to the pro- nounciation of the word Yucatan. The natives have never recognized the name, however, and to this day, among themselves, they speak of their country only under the an- YUCATAN CIVILIZATION. 59 cient name of Maya, and call themselves a Macegual in- stead cf a Yucateco. Before leaving Yucatan, a few words in regard to its civilization may not be deemed inappropriate. The popu- lation numbers about 500,000, and is mostly native. Be- sides its churches, convents, and public buildings, it has thirteen newspapers, several electric light plants, telephone exchange, street cars, and six lines of railway, viz: two lines from. Merida to Progreso, one narrow and the other wide guage; a line from Merida to Ticul, one from Merida to Peto, one from Merida to Calkini, and one from Merida to Sotuta. There are also in the state eight cities, fifteen towns, one hundred and fifty villages, three hundred and fifty haciendas, and over one hundred ruined cities, besides numerous abandoned settlements. Late on the afternoon of the 23rd, we left Progreso for Veracruz. Our trip across the Gulf was without any no- table event. During the evenings, which we spent on deck, we were interested in studying the phosphorescence which could be plainly seen as the vessel sped along. This was caused by myriads of little animals, whose bodies gave off the silvery light. Chief among these animals were the minute ‘creatures called by naturalists Noctiluca, ani- mals belonging ‘to the Sub-Kingdom Protozoa. Other animals, such as larval mollusks, Acalephs, and some fishes, contributed toward this light. It was sometimes so intense as to make the light of the stars seem dim in comparison. On the 24th we reached Frontera, and were compelled to wait all day for the little steamer, which brings off passen- gers and freight from the town. Leaving Frontera we headed toward Veracruz, expecting to reach there on the 25th. My evenings were all spent on deck enjoying the fresh and invigorating sea air, and in silent contemplation of nature. The phosphorescent water could be plainly seen 60 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. at the prow of the steamer, and ran away from her bows like molten fire. CYLINDRELLA. ‘syvod ULBJUNOUE a4k PIUT[LIPUN SP1O AA ‘uMOYsS ov syurOd [edtoursd ayy A[UQ “UOT Tpodxe oy} JO 9}NOA VY} 9yvOLpUT “OOIXAW TWHLNAD 40 dW wodo\oyay @ wo DDN Ya) . Sue NS, tks 50\2A0W © radaynvle Qatkayns e . ' SANSOM GS er vn oUreny) ® Normosodlsg wrerday, e He Q Wy she See OW & arn hi Parern “PS Zz @\\v , ne LENO Tal Seid! \ ies AOLMY) @ e = Soa BSI ami Exh, Bees a) Sacer Gs He e o>\\u YOK 7 Wwe « Seb aiee e ot WHIM Soe 8 Swe wod \PyL poor sye 0009=e) 4 youn Ss waar # ATI 0417 © o200%2\ iG od KW aadar°s ®. . Ree “wo BTONSAUYOB ig! uid y@.. woso\\sX 1 oD SNyowo e obuy dunzel Pen euany Sonny > OVYoOR vavy @ oui wUoynrL® IM YIDY © oor WQMYIY e “Ayavd ay Jo YIOM oY} 07 A[AVPHo Ae aVlad YOryM sny} soull poyop x4 ,—aLon "A 3LW1d OVADLENH e ° oho 4 uvburtyodye OAVQWAYIV) e oray @ OLOMITLLOd © MWOTLANTWIT| @ DA) eAloL @ . Aw NII Tg 7 g a® OAL MYMaNy @ Xx d oaotn 7 © CHAPTER VI. Ear_y on the morning of the 26th we sighted the snow- capped peak of Orizaba, rising above the clouds. It was a grand sight; the sun was shinning brightly, and the clouds about the peak were golden-tinted. It was not a grand sight that met our gaze, as, a few hours later, we sighted the City of Veracruz. A half mile or so of buildings, com- pact and solid, with blackened domes and steeples; yellow for the most part, scarlet, pink, green, and blue, in patches; a stone landing-quay, and a series of iron cranes projecting from it. To the left was a reddish fort. There were no suburbs, only long; dreary stretches of sand. Very far down on the sand, math the sea breaking over her, was a vessel, wrecked during a recent norther. As we steamed into the harbor, I noted on either side a number of coral reefs which appeared to form atolls. Wecame to anchor under the lee of the old fort of San Juan ite la Ulua. The health officers soon appeared, and after their inspection we were permitted to land. Passengers.were obliged, here as in the States, to open their baggage for inspection, and declare any dutiable articles. The Mexican free list included personal clothing articles worn in use, as watch, cane, etc., and firearms (one or two with their accessories). Each adult male passenger may bring in ninety-nine cigars, forty packages of cigarettes, and one and one-half pounds of snuff or chewing tobacco. Professional men may bring in free the tools pertaining to their professions. The custom house officials we found polite and obliging, and in a very short time we were at liberty to proceed on our journey. Leaving our baggage at the Hotel Mexico, we palled in 62 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. a body upon the American Consul. This gentleman was very cordial, and gave us much information. Here we obtained statistics concerning yellow fever, which were very interesting, They showed that for the last three years pre- ceding 1890, there had been but nine deaths from the ‘ever. The following table I copied from the official record, and shows a gradual décrease since 1885. YELLOW FEVER IN VERACRUZ. YEAR. 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 | 1888 | 1889 | 1890 No. GR |e eae ae Rea DMN ECD IC oe TS oe & 774 136 | 328 | 208 4 3 a The highest month was June, 1883, when 261 deaths occurred. The total number of deaths in twenty years was 5493. From the lighthouse, situated near the quay, we secured an excellent view of the city and surrounding country. Looking seaward, we saw the harbor with its numerous shipping lying at anchor, the grim old fortress on the Island of San Juan de la Ulua, the coral reefs stretching away in the distance, with the waves beating over them, throwing up a line of white foam. Inland, the view pre- sented a very interesting scene. Just back of the city rose a series of sand dunes, which extended several miles into the country; and back of these rose a chain of mountains, looking faint and misty in the distance. From our high position the city appeared about a mile square, built upon, and surrounded by, sand. The houses were flat roofed and nearly square, built of stone, and two or three stories in height. The only vegetation about the city was low scrubby bushes and cacti. The domes were, in some places, black with buzzards. In the afternoon we visited the south end of the town, and walked a little way into the country, but all we could find were a few dead and bleached shells, and an occasiona! lizard of small size. a = ms * “~ = Cicete pe Saeki 4 ete SS ae a i: 4 . r Siaiva OVAOLY Te NIC ATOYAC RIVER. Bs oes From Veracruz we sent home our long-neglected let- ters. The postal regulations of the country are somewhat peculiar; a letter may be sent to the United States for five cents, but to any state in Mexico, the charge is fifteen cents. The following day, at 5:45 a. M., we left Veracruz by the Mexican Central Railroad for Orizaba. After leaving the city, the line passed in sight of the Alameda, the cemetery of Mata, and then crossed the Laguna de Cocos. For the first few miles we passed over the sandy, chaparral region which borderéd the coast. Near Soledad, twenty-six miles from Veracruz, we crossed the Rio Jamapa, on a bridge over four hundred feet long. From this point, the grand and impressive wonders of the mountains began. From Soledad to Paso del Macho, we passed through a rocky and desolate region. Soon the bridge of Alejo. was crossed; this was a handsome structure three hundred and eighteen feet long, and thirty feet above the stream beneath, which is a tributary of the Atoyac. Here sugar cane and coffee plantations began to appear, and the verdure assumed a more tropical aspect. The trees were covered with those curious and beautiful parasites, the orchids, and we began to see what Mexico really was. We now wound around the base of the Cerro de Chiquihuite, and passed through a tun- nel two hundred feet in length. From here we crossed the Chiquihuite bridge, and soon came in sight of the beautiful falls of the Atoyac. They certainly presented a most beau- tiful and picturesque scene, nestled as they were in the midst of a dense, tropical jungle. Looking up this ravine we saw the Atoyac river, wind- ing down like a silver thread, and ending in the magnificent series of falls. Orchids abounded here in great numbers, and the locality seemed a perfect paradise for a collector. Mollusks and insects must abound here in great numbers, and the avifauna must be far excellence. 64 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. Just before reaching the dépot of Atoyac, we crossed the bridge, three hundred and thirty feet long, spanning the river of the same name. Here the steepest portion of the ascent began, a grade of four per cent., and the double- ender Fairlie locomotive was attached to the train. Be- tween Atoyac and Cordoba, we passed through a fertile country which supported a tropical vegetation. Several small tunnels were passed through, and then we reached Cordoba. At this station a number of natives boarded the train, with fruit to sell, for Cordoba is almost in the center of the tropical fruit region. From Cordoba the scenery was of surpassing grandeur; the railway slowly wound up the sides of the mountains, while beneath were deep canons, and the scenery was wild in the extreme. We now passed through five tunnels and crossed three bridges. At the Metlac bridge, crossing the ravine of the same name, we encountered the finest scenery. This bridge was three hundred and fifty feet long, and ninety-two feet above the stream below. The grade here was three per cent. It was a grand, and at the same time a wild sight, to look over the side of that bridge, into the rushing waters below. It was said that in the wet season, the water rose within ten feet of the track. What a grand sight it must be then to make the upward journey. On the bank beside the bridges were little houses, in which lived people who watched for accidents to either bridge or track, and who gave warning to trains if anything was wrong. This was certainly a wise precaution. Soon the valley of Orizaba came in view, and the dépot of that town was soon reached. This is the capital of the State of Veracruz, which state contains over half a million of inhabitants. We were here eighty miles from Veracruz, and one hundred and eighty from the City of Mexico. We were unable to obtain accommodations at the hotel, so were obliged to seek CITY OF ORIZABA. €5 quarters at a casa de huespedes, or boarding house. Here we were to spend a week in collecting, and studying the fauna, flora, and Geology. . Orizaba has over twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the oldest and quaintest cities in Mexico. The windo ws of the houses are low and iron grated, as is usual with Spanish towns. Most of the dwellings are but one story in height, built with broad, overhanging eaves, and are composed of morter, sun-dried brick, and a variety of other material. Wood, however, does not enter to any great extent in their construction. The pitched roofs are covered with big red tiles, which serve to throw off the heat of the burning sun, as well as the rain. There are numerous churches here, several of which are quite imposing structures Gabriel Barranco; a native artist, has contributed many oil paintings of consider- able merit to many of these churchs. Earthquakes are frequent here, a fact attested by numerous cracks in the church towers. The steeple of the largest church was thrown down several times by this agency. Several good schools have been established here, and are doing good work. They are supported by the local government, The church party, however, are doing their best to suppress them, but do not seem to succeed. Four schools are for boys, and three for girls. A river runs through the town, and affords ample power for six or eight mills, which manufacture sugar, cotton, and flour. The surrounding valley is very fertile, and is mostly devoted to the raising of coffee, sugar-cane, and tobacco, The climate is very fine all the year, the average tempera- ture being 75° Fahr. in summer, and very seldom falls be- low 60° at any time. The valley affords an agreeable medium between the hot lands, and the cold and rarified atmosphere of the Mexico plateau. In this vicinity one sees 66 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. the orange, lemon, banana, and almond growing at their best, while the coffee, sugar-cane, and tobacco plantations will compare favorably with anyin Cuba. Sugar-cane land can be had here for from forty to fifty dollars an acre, which will compare favorably with Louisiana land which sells at one thousand dollars an acre. Cotton is very extensively grown in the State of Veracruz, and thrives up to an eleva- tion of five thousand feet above the sea. According to Mexican statistics, the average product is about two thousand pounds to the acre; this is double the average quantity produced in the United States. The modes of cultivation are very crude, but the wonderful fertility of the soil insures good and remunerative returns, even under these disadvantages. Water is almost the only fertilizer used, and irrigating facilities are excellent. On the west side of the town is an elevation known as El Borrego, or The Goat, where five thousand Mexicans were completely routed by a single company of French Zouaves, during the French invasion. This was a night surprise, wherein the French appeared suddenly among the sleeping Mexicans, and cut them down as fast as they awoke. The importance and superiority of disciplined troops was never more clearly demonstrated than on this occasion. Military discipline is not a characteristic of tre Mexican army, as may be seen at any time when they are making a parade. Orizaba, it will be remembered, was for a time the headquarters of General Bazaines’army, and it was here that the French General, finally, in 1866, bade good-by to Maximilian, whose cause he dastardly deserted. Stories are still told here of the outrages committed by the French soldiery. : The streets of the town are in very good condition, paved with lava. .The gutters are in the middle of the streets, and the sidewalks are but a few inches in width. " OITY OF ORIZABA, 67 Very few wheeled vehicles are used, the freight being carried almost wholly on the backs of burros and natives. All the produce of the neighboring country, such as vege- tables, charcoal, wood, etc., comes in on the backs of natives, men and women, and it is really astonishing to see what heavy loads they will carry for miles over the moun- tains, at the rate of five or six miles anhour. These natives enjoy wonderful physical health, owing probably to their simple life. They are subject to hardly any deformity, and a hunchbacked native is not to be seen, while it is very rare to meet a maimed oralame one. Their simple mode of life, living in the open air, and their temperate habits, have earned for them immunity from deformity. What a lesson for our more advanced civilization! The simple native seldom indulges in pulque, and when he does the effect is far less harmful than our American whisky. The small plaza is a delightful resort, a perfect wilder- ness of green with an ornamental fountain in the middle, about which are stone seats. The entire surroundings of Orizaba are garden-like, and the vegetation, owing to the humidity of the atmosphere rising from the Gulf, is always of a vivid green. If we walked through the plaza early in the morning, we would be sure to see many native men and women coming into market from the country, all bending under their weight of provisions, pottery, or some other home product. The women knit as they walk along. Long trains of burros loaded with grain, straw, wood, and alfalfa, are also seen coming in from some hacienda in the valley. The milkmen, too, are seen, with their milk cans, two on each side, suspended from their horses saddles. It will be remembered that at the little town of Jala- pilla, situated a couple of miles from town, Maximilian held the famous council which decided his fate. Had he taken heed to his own common sense, and the advice of his 68 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. friends, he would yet be living, and Carlotta would not have become the insane wreck she was. Veracruz was but a days’ journey away, and a French steamboat lay off San Juan de la Ulua, ready to convey him across the sea, The pressure of the church party, his own pride and the con- fidence of Carlotta, decided his fate. We employed our few days in Orizaba to good advant- age in collecting specimens abcut the town, and in the valley, of which there were an abundance. The morning after our arrival, I took my gun and walked out to see what sport the valley afforded. The forest bordering the Rio Blanco, which flowed through the valley, was extremely rich and picturesque, although the soil was damp. In every hollow flowed a sparkling brook with crystal waters. The margins of the river were paradises of leafiness and verdure; the most striking feature being the variety of ferns, with im- mense leaves, some terrestrial, others climbing over trees. I saw here some very large trees; there was one especially, whose colossal trunk towered up for nearly a hundred feet, straight as an arrow. Birds along this picturesque river were very abundant. In several places near the river bank, the natives had made their little plantations, and built lit- tle huts. The people were always cheerful and friendly, and seemed to be glad to assist us in any manner. King- fishers, hawks, humming-birds, warblers, and finches, were seen here in considerable numbers. In the brooks empty- ing into the Rio Blanco, we found large numbers of mollusks, the first quantity of living animals of this class which we had seen while in Mexico. Physa and Limnea were the most abundant. JZ. cubensis has a very wide distribution, being found from New England, whereit isknownas Z. umdilicata, west to Missouri, and south to Cuba and the State of Veracruz. Inthe woods bordering the stream we found the Texan Kingfisher, the VILLAGE OF NOGALES. 69 Myrtle Warbler, Audubon’s Warbler, the common Sparrow Hawk (Falco sparverius, a very wide distribution), and several swallows. The forest was very pleasant for rambling. In some directions broad pathways led down gentle slopes, through almost interminable shrubberies of green foliage, to moist hollows, where the springs of water bubbled up, or shallow brooks ran over their beds of pebbles or muddy floors. The most beautiful road was one that ran through a beautiful grove of lofty trees, crossed the Rio Blanco ona high bridge, and terminated below the high walls of the neighboring hills. Birds and insects were here very plentiful, and many a rare and beautiful specimen was added to our collection. One spot, a few miles from the town, | shall not soon forget; it was on a hill which sloped abruptly towards a boggy meadow, suirounded by woods, through which a narrow winding path continued the slope down to a cool and shady glen, with a brook of culd water flowing at the bottom At mid-day the vertical sun penetrated into the gloomy depths of this romantic spot, lighting up the leafy banks of the stream, where numbers of Scarlet Tanagers and brightly colored butterflies sported about in the stray leaves. One afternoon we took the street cars for the little village of Nogales, where a large mar- ble quarry was situated. The street car service here was some- thing remarkable. It impressed us the moment we saw it. The cars themselves were quite sim- CARYCHIUM MEXICANUM, PILSBRY | : . (ENLARGED.) ilar to those used in the States; but the service was certainly unique. The cars were drawn by a couple of burros, which were driven atarun. The 70 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. drivers sounded a small horn on approaching the inter- section of streets, and everything went with a grand rush. The mules did not suffer much from this rapid transit pace, as might be supposed, for they were frequently changed, and were generally in excellent condition. Our road ran along the base of the Cerro de Borrego, crossed the valley of Orizaba, and then again skirted the base of the hills. Nogales was a neat little village of a few hundred inhabitants, and was worthy of description. We did not have time, unfortunately, to form an adequate idea of its character. The marble yards bordered a deep ravine, through which flowed a picturesque stream. In the vicinity of the village we saw several washouts, showing the tremendous force with which the water must rush down the mountains during the wet season. On nvarly every one of our excursions, we were greeted bya magnificent view of the glistening, snow-capped peak of Orizaba, rising high above the clouds. One afternoon, a day or two before leaving Orizaba, we visited a quarry to the east of the town. On our way we passed through the market place. The scene presented here was very picturesque and interesting. On the edges of the sidewalks, and in the streets, were placed little patches of straw matting, upon which were displayed the different articles the natives had for sale. Beside the matting sat native men and women, cross-legged, each one waiting patiently for some one to come and buy. The natives were dressed in loose clothes. The men wore white cotton pants and shirts, and had on their heads straw hats or sombreros. The women wore woolen skirts of a dark color and cotton waists, Over which was thrown a shawl of a slate color. Everything about them tended to induce freedom of movement. Their skin was a tawny copper color, their hair jet black. They appeared inferior in in- CERRO DE ESCAMELA. 71 tellect to the Yucatecans, and did not have that quickness of perception noticed in the latter race. I noted several young girls carrying babies, somewhat after the North American Indian fashion, in their shawls, strung across their backs. They were often seen with the children astraddle their backs. The articles displayed for sale were fruits, sweetmeats, articles of clothing, cutlery, etc. » Thursday and Sunday. were the principal market days, when the people for miles around flocked in to buy and sell. Milkmen were also seen delivering their mornings milk. About a mile from the town we reached the quarry. This was not large, and had been worked but ashort time. We were fortunate enough to obtain a number of fossils, which gave the geological horizon of the Cretaceous for the region. "While several of the party were investigating the quarry, I ascended to the top of the hill, known as the PATULA INTONSA, PILSBRY. Cerro de Escamela, and hada splendid view of the valley, the best I had as yet enjoyed. This mountain rises 1417 feet above the valley, and has an absolute elevation of 5800 feet. Crossing this mountain a few hundred feet, I came to a little ravine, where a large number of small mollusks were 72 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. collected under the wet leaves. A small Pupa (P. con- tracta) 1 found quite abundant. Among others found were three species of Patula (P. tntonsa, Pilsbry), three of Streptostyla, and several Helicina. 1 picked up a Carychium (C. mexicanum) in great quantities, and a Proserpina (P. Ceres salleana) of two distinct varieties, one red and one buff. In the rocks we found the following fossils, all refer- able to the Cretaceous deposits. Maricea castillo, found imbedded in the marble and identified from a polished sec- tion. A Murex was found, but in such a state as to be un- determinable, so far as specific characters were concerned. A Tylostoma was also found of very large size, but in such a twisted condition as to be unrecognizable, Several other specimens were found, of which the generic identity could only be determined. These were Ostrea, Caprina, and Hippurites. On the second of April we again boarded the Mexico and Veracruz train for another journey skyward, for we had yet some four thousand feet to climb before reaching the Mex1- can plateau. After leaving Orizaba, the line passed through a fertile valley for a few miles, and then again came to the steep mountain slope. From Orizaba to Maltrata, the railway ran parallel with the 2/o Blanco, and crossed its tributaries in several places. A short time be- fore reaching Maltrata, we passed the Barranca del In- fenillo, or ‘*Ravine of the Little Hell.” This was a wild and desolate place, dropping six hundred feet below the ledge on which the track was laid. Far below, in the depths of this ravine, was seen a tiny stream, looking like a silver thread, winding its way down. In this deep gorge the effects of crushing and folding of the rocks was well seen. The limestone was here standing at every conceiv- able angle, and was overlaid by a huge mass of lava, to “SAYQNY NYS ‘HA aLwid TOWN OF MALTRATA, 73 which the crushing was partly due. Beyond this point we reached the valley of Za Joya, ‘ iJ . & c 4 : THE ASCENT OF ORIZABA. 19 Next morning (April 7th), at four o’clock, we turned out, ate a light meal, and started for the peak onfoot. We were well protected from the cold by extra jackets, which we had brought with us. To prevent us from slipping on the ice, we wore stockings over our shoes. Leaving the ledge of rock where we had spent the night, we first passed over a comparatively level plain, covered with tufts of dried, half-dead grass. The soil here was sandy, and progression difficult. A gentle incline was soon reached, which carried us to the foot of the peak proper. Here the last vestige of vegetation disappeared, and we were surrounded by black and barren blocks of lava. Soon the rise was at an angle of thirty-five degrees, and the climbing became very fa- tiguing. One of our party soon showed signs of giving out, and complained of pains in his head and stomach; he also had a desire to he down and go to sleep. Ata height of 14,000 feet, he was obliged to succumb and return to the camp. Now the ascent was over huge boulders and crumbling stones, and in many places a few steps forward were followed by one backwards. From our present ele- vation we were enabled to view the country for many miles. Way off in the distance were seen the snow-capped peaks of Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl, sister peaks to Orizaba. Down in the valley below was seen the town of San Andres, appearing like a child’s toy, and scattered over the plain were towns and villages in every direction. Frequent rests were now taken, for the rarified air was beginning to tellon the rest of us. At one of our resting- places, I had the good fortune to observe the clouds rising slowly from the valley. As they rose higher and higher, peak after peak was covered, until a level sea of clouds lay before me, with here and there a point appearing above it like an island in the midst of a sea. It was the most beau- tiful sight I had ever seen, Again we arose and stumbled 80 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. ' on. The guides were now some distance ahead, and we followed on as quickly as possible. Soon the snow-field was reached, and here the truly difficult part of the ascent began. The field was cut up into little hillocks, which rendered progression over it much easier than 1t would have been, had it been a smooth fizld of frozen snow. When within three hundred feet of the summit, I was seized with the most violent symptoms. My head swam, my eyes be- came bloodshot, and my stomach felt very qualmish. A ringing noise entered my ears, and I was obliged to desist from ascending further. Another of my companions was affected in the same manner, and but one was able toreach the actual summit, and he had to be hauled up with ropes by the natives. Our descent was somewhat novel. A na- tive had carried with hima piece of straw matting, and upon this we sat and were pulled down a sandy incline of thirty- flve degrees, in much the same manner that coasting is done in Canada. We arrived at the camp foot-sore and weary, and were glad enough to lie down and rest. Our determination showed that the height formerly given for the mountain is too low. - After making allow- ances for slight variations, the height of the mountain is 18,200 feet. The barometer, at the summit, read 15.56 inches, and the temperature was 35° Fahr. During theas- cent of the second day, the barometer indicated a drop of .1 inch. In 1796, Ferrer, by means of angle measurements taken from the Encero, determined the height to be 17,879 feet. Humboldt, a few years later, measured the mountain from a plain, near the town of Jalapa, and obtained 17,375 feet. He observed, however, that his angles of elevation. were very small, and the base-line difficult to level. In 1877, a Mexican scientific commission, composed of MM. Plowes, Rodriguez, and Vigil, made the ascent of the volcano from the side of San Andres, and determined the- ‘WaEVZId¥O 40 WV4dd ‘XI aLWwid SPECIES OF BIRDS. 81 height to be 17,664 feet. Dr. Kaska, not long since, de- termined, by a mercurial thermometer, the height to be 18,045 feet. Should our deductions prove correct, then Orizaba, and not Popocatepetl, must take the first place among the mountains of North America. The second night was -passed like the first, in hugging the fire. Early on the following morning we returned to San Andres, reaching there late in the afternoon. The only life observed on the peak was a Sparrow Hawk, a raven, and a few small lizards. Before leaving San Andres, a word concerning its avi- fauna may not be out of place. As before said, the differ- ence between the birds of San Andres and those of Orizaba, 4,000 feet below, was-marked. Only three species were common to both localities. Nearly all species belonged to northern genera, In the town, the only birds observed were the House Finch, Blue Grosbeak, and Barn Swallow. In the sandy stretch of country, between San Andres and the pine woods, on the slopes of Orizaba, the most charac- * teristic species were sparrows, thrushes, the Black-eared Bush Tit, Brown and Mexican Towhee. In the pine forest the American Robin, Bluebird, Mexican Chickadee, Sumi- chrast’s Jay, and Audubon’s Warbler, were abundant. A peculiar fact observed was that none of the characteristic birds oi the open country were found on the wooded part of the mountain. Snowbirds and Sumichrast’s Jay, how- ever, were found on the plain some distance from the edge of the forest. Of the other branches—mollusks, insects, etc.—we saw nothing, save a few lizards. The following day we left San Andres for the City of Mexico, arriving at the latter place at midnight. We put up at the Hotel Humboldt, situated on the: Calle de Jesus, where we secured very excellent accommodations. CHAPTER VIII. Wuat Paris is to France, the City of Mexico is to the Mexican Republic. The city derived its name from the Aztec war-god Mexitli. It isa large metropolis, containing something over three hundred thousand inhabitants, em- bracing a large diversity of nationalities. When Cortez first saw the city, in 1519, it was said to measure nine miles in circumference, and to contain half a million inhabitants. This statement is probably greatly exaggerated. The an- cient Aztec Capital, bearing the name of Tenochtitlan, was completely destroyed by Cortez, who established on its site the present. city. The streets of the city are broad and straight, lined with two-story houses, and there are also several spacious avenues and boulevards. The houses are built mostly of stone, covered with stucco; the windows . opening upon little balconies, shaded by awnings of differ- ent colors. They are built after the usual Spanish style, with a central courtyard. The open areas about which the houses are built often present most pleasing displays of fountains, flowers, and statuary. On the main street, lead- ing from the plaza to the alameda, are several private resi- dences, having very handsome courts, or patios, as they are called, filled with the most beautiful flowers, and rendered musical by the singing of caged birds. : Upon these areas, which are open to the sky, the inner doors and windows open, the second story being furnished with a walk and balustrade running round the patio. Heavy doors, studded with nails, shut off this patio from the street at night. The houses of the capital are substantially built, the walls being of great thickness, and composed of stuccoed CITY OF MEXICO, 83 bricks. The roofs are nearly all flat and without chimneys; there is no provision made for artificial heat, nor indeed is there need of any in a climate where the temperature sel- dom falls below 60° Fahr. It is always warm in the middle of the day, and cool in the morning and evening. The climate is temperate, and the atmosphere very dry. Fires, on account of the indestructibility of the houses, are a rare occurrence. . The main thoroughfares enter and depart from the Plaza Major. Some are broad and some narrow, but all are paved, straight, and clean. The street car service is excellent. All the cars depart from the main plaza in front of the cathedral. They are always ina hurry; the mules are driven very rapidly through the crowded thoroughfares, yet no accidents happen. Funerals are conducted by turn- ing one of these cars intoa hearse, or catafalque, another car being reserved for the mourners and pall-bearers. A long string of these cars may sometimes be seen gliding into the suburbs, where the grave-yards are located. The drivers of the cars blow cow-horns at the intersection of the streets, to warn people off the track. The fact that all the cars leave and enter the Plaza Major, makes it compar- atively easy for a stranger to find his way around the city and surrounding suburbs The central plaza of every Mex- ican city and town, is always the central park. The streets of Mexico intersect each other at right angles, and are so nearly alike that it is a little puzzling for the stranger to find his way about them. Another draw- back is the awkward manner of naming the streets, each block of a single street having a different name. This sub- division is, however, to be entirely discarded, and in a few years the streets will be named like those of our northern cities. The Paseo de la Reforma is the principal boulevard, and connects the city with Chapultepec. It is over two 84 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO, miles in length and over one hundred feet in width; it has double avenues of Eucalyptus shade trees on either side, with stone sidewalks and seats, placed at short intervals, made of the same material. At certain places the paseo widens into a glorzeta, or circle, four hundred feet in di- ameter, in which are placed handsome statues. The first contains the statue of Columbus, by Cordier, a very hand- some and artistic piece of work. Another circle contains the equestrian statue of Charles IV, of colossal size, thirty tons of metal being used in the casting. It is said to be the largest casting ever made. Another g/orze¢a contains the statue of the native martyr Guatemozin, the last of the Aztec emperors. There are in all six of these circles, all of which are destined to contain a fine monument. Maxi- milian named this drive the Boulevarde Emperiale; but on the restoration of the Rebuplic the name was changed to the one by which it is now called. In the afternoon the paseo is thronged with a motley crowd of people driving, riding on horseback, or promenading; dashing equestrians in gay attire; tally-ho coaches conveying merry. parties of tourists; and here and there a mounted policeman in fancy uniform. Among the pedestrians. are well-dressed gentle- men in broadcloth suits, mingled with whom are the com- -mon class of people in their picturesque costumes. The women lend color to the scene by their red and blue rebosas, drawn tightly over the shoulders, or tied across the chest, securing an infant to the back. Nothing more picturesque can be imagined than this ever changing crowd. Carriages go out towards Chapultepec on one side of the paseo and return on the other, leaving the central portion of the roadway exclusively for equestrians. Another boule- vard, known as the Paseo de la Viga, runs along the banks of the Xochimilco canal, but since the completion of the new paseo, this has ceased to be the favorite resort for driving. THE CATHEDRAL PLATE X. INTERESTING OBJECTS. 85 The horses seen on the paseo, as well as all of the horses in Mexico, are of Arabian descent and are splendid ‘animals. They are medium-sized, high-spirited, with small ears, and a broad chest expanded by the -rarified air of the high altitude. The saddles and trappings are gorgeous with silver ornaments, without any regard for tastefulness whatever; eighteen or twenty inches of leather, fancifully worked, are often attached to each stirrup. The Mexican rider wears a short leather jacket, set off by a dozen or more silver buttons, tight leather pantaloons, heavy with silver buttons, partially opened at the side and flaring at the bottom. Instead of a vest, he wears a frilled linen shirt. This ig set off by a scarlet scarf, tied about the waist. His spurs are of silver and frequently weigh half a pound each, while the rowels are an inch long. These spurs are more for show than use, however. On his head he wears a huge sombrero of brown felt, the brim being ten or twelve inches broad, and the crown measur- ‘ing the same in height. In addition there is a silver or gold cord placed about the crown, and frequently the wearer’s monogram is worked in silver on the side. The soldiers quartered in the government building were frequently seen parading in the plaza. The Mexican soldier has neither shoes nor stockings, shoes being re- placed by sandals. The discipline is of the crudest sort; when marching they do not keep step, but move at will; it is a curious sight to see a company marching, with a band at their head, all keeping out of step, even the band. One would suppose the band, at least, would keep step, but .such is not the case, although they are fine musicians. The ‘troops wear linen or cotton uniforms, with silver buttons. On dress parades they wear a plain uniform of dark blue. One of the most interesting objects in Mexico is the famous Cathedral, fronting upon the Plaza Major. Ninety 86 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO, years of labor, and several millions of dollars, were spent in its construction. The edifice stands on the spot which was once occupied by the great Aztec Teocalli, or temple, dedicated to the war-god of the nation. The Spaniards destroyed the ancient temple, as soon as they became masters of the country, and built a church upon its site; this was soon after pulled down, and the present edifice erected in*its place. The ancient temple was said to have been pyramidal in form, the summit one hundred and fifty feet above the ground, reached by broad stone steps. Hu- man Sacrifices were said to have been made here daily; wars were made with neighboring tribes to supply victims for the altar. The accounts of the Spanish chroniclersare probably greatly exaggerated, if not pure fabrications. The fagade of the present edifice, at each side of which rises a massive tower, crowned by a bell-shaped dome, is divided by but- tresses into three parts. The towers are each over two hundred feet in height, of Doric and Ionic architecture. In the western tower is the great bell, named after the patron saint of Mexico, Santa Maria de Guadalupe, which measures nineteen feet in height, being the largest, in size and weight, in the world. The basso-relievos, statues, and friezes of the facade are of white marble. The structure -measures over four hundred feet in length, and two hundred in width, and is in shape like a cross. Its roof is supported by pillars, each thirty-five feet in circumference, and is one hundred and seventy-five feet from the floor. The high altar was once the richest in the world, but during the var- ious revolutions, this—-and the other six—has been de- spoiled, and millions of dollars have been put in circulation from it. The candlesticks were of solid gold, and the statue of the Assumption was of the same metal, and studded with rubies and diamonds. But with all its losses, the church is decorated as no other on the American Continent. FAMOUS CATHEDRAL. 87 The railing of the choir gallery was manufactured in China, and was said to have cost one and a half millions of dollars. An offer to replace it in solid silver was refused. On the gides .of the church there are, over .a. dozen (chapels, inclosed in bronze gates, in one of which the body of Iturbide, the first Mexican Emperor, is buried. Two valu- able paintings hang upon the walls, one a Murillo, and the other an original Michael Angelo. The dim light which pervades the interior of the Cathedral, tempered by the light of the tall candles, lends a weirdness to the scene, but the effect, generally, is not so good as that rendered by Our stained windows. Here, in 1864, Maximilian and Carlotta were crowned Emperor and Empress of Mexico. The view from the top of the Cathedralis grand, and should be seen by every tourist. It was from a height like this that Cortez first beheld the beauties of the valley of Anahuac. At our feet lies the plaza, with its tree-dotted Zocalo, while the entire city is spread out before us. Not far away looms against the sky the tall castle of Chapultepec, while the towers of Guadalupe come still nearer the vision. The dis- tant fields of Maguey, the smooth waters of the lakes, and the tall, sky-reaching elevations of Popocatepetl and Ixtac- cihuatl, make a scene which it 1s no wonder Humboldt de- clared to be the most beautiful eye ever rested on. Wecan almost see the elevated path between the two mountains over which Cortez, in 1520, and Scott, in 1847, led their conquering hosts. The front of the Cathedral is always be- seiged by beggars and dottery venders. Sometimes the lottery vender is aman who importunes you to purchase; sometimes a young girl, and at others, even a child of ten or twelve years. The Mexican Government realizes fully a million dollars per annum from licenses granted to protect this business; rich and poor alike invest, the difference be- ing only in the amount; strangers smother their scruples 88 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. and purchase tickets, thus adding their mite to the iniquitous business. The City of Mexico is famous for its large number of scientific, literary, and charitable institutions, its many primary and advanced ‘schools, and its well-appointed hos- pitals. The national palace covers the whole eastern side of the Plaza Major, and has a frontage of nearly or quite seven hundred feet; it occupies the site of the ancient palace of Montezuma. The present building was erected in 1693. The palace is two stories in height, and has a tower over the central doorway. It contains the suite of rooms belonging to the President, and those belonging to the various departments of state. The Hall of Ambassadors is interesting on account of the collection of life-size por- traits of Mexican rulers, most of whom were either exiled or executed as traitors. Here also is a good portrait of Washington, and a battle-piece, by a native artist, repre- senting the battle of Puebla, where the French were so completely defeated. An apartment known as Maximilian’s room is shown to the visitor, situated in the corner of the palace, having two windows, one overlooking the plaza, and the other the public market. _The Hall of Iturbide, hungin rfch crimson .damask, displaying the eagle and serpent, the arms of Mexico, is also shown. Inthe rear of the palace are the General Post-office and the National Museum. In the patio of the palace a small botanical garden is maintained, which contains many domestic and exotic trees and plants, several of which are very rare and curious. The rare and extra- ordinary plant, Cheirostemon platanifolium, is shown in the garden. This remarkable curiosity is called the hand-tree, and is covered with bright scarlet flowers, almost exactly in the shape of the human hand. But three specimens of this plant are known to exist in Mexico. In the rear of the national palace is the Academy of ACADEMY OF SAN CARLOS. 89 Fine Arts—known as the Academy of San Carlos,—which contains many fine paintings by Vinci, Valasquez, Titian, Rubens, Perugino, and others. The paintings are situated on the second floor, while on the first floor there is a large hall of sculpture, containing casts of many classic statues. The art gallery is full of interest; it contains several price- less paintings by the old masters, as well as a large number of admirable pictures by native talent, which are remarka- ble for their execution. Two large canvases by Jose Maria Velasco, representing the Valley of Mexico, form fine and striking landscapes, which are surpassed by but few modern painters. The gem of the Academy, however, is, without doubt, the large painting by Felix Parra, a native artist, entitled ‘‘Las Casas protecting the Aztecs from slaughter by the Spaniards.” This artist has given us an original conception. _niost—periectly carried ‘out... He 1s -but thirty years of age, and has already made himself famous. The painting received first prize at the Academy of Rome. The Academy also contains an art school free to the youth of the city, and is assisted by the government to the amount of $35,000 annually. Prizes are given for meritorious work; one annual prize is especially sought for, namely, an allowance of $600 a year for six years, to enable the recip1- ent to study art abroad. The school is free to all, and the son of the peon has as good aright as he with the wealthiest parents. The institution is in a flourishing condition, but lacks the stimulus of an appreciative community to encour- age its growth, and much emulation among its pupils. The native has always been a lover of the artistic and beautiful. The Aztec pictures were but early examples of this love struggling to assert itself. “There are numerous paintings preserved in the National Museum, which are beautiful specimens of art. Some of these are on deer- skin, and some on papyrus made from the leaves of the 90 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. Maguey plant. The art of metal casting and the manu- facture of cotton cloth was known to the ancient Toltecs and Aztecs. There are numerous examples still preserved, which show that the Aztec was an admirable worker in silver and gold. Cortez, in his hurry to send gold back to his sovereign, caused everything made of this precious metal to be consigned to the melting pot, and thus many fine specimens of the work were destroyed. Were speci- mens of these golden and silver ornaments now existing, they would be worth many times their weightin gold. The art, however, has been handed down from one generation to another, and the modern native can produce silver filigree work superior to anything made elsewhere. The native women also make the most exquisite pictures from colored pieces of straw, representing scenery and buildings with wonderful accuracy. They also make wax figures representing scenes and types of Mexican life. On San Francisco street, these statuettes may be seen reproducing the different types of Mexican life with wonderful fidelity. Another branch of art, which the ancient, as well as the modern Aztec excells in, is the production of feather work, The gorgeous plumage of parrots, humming-birds, trogans, and orioles, are especially adapted for this work. In ancient times the feathers were glued upon cotton-web, and made into dresses to be worn on festal occasions. There is preserved, in the museum, a beautiful robe of this character said to have been worn by Montezuma II. This industry has been inherited by the modern Aztecs, and pictures and small landscapes may be purchased anywhere in the city for a moderate sum. Not far from the Academy of Fine Arts is the National Conservatory of Music, founded in 1558. Near at hand, also, is the National Library, where there is a collection of nearly two hundred thousand volumes, many of them being NATIONAL LIBRARY. al of extreme rarity. Here are to be found volumes of price- less value, among which is a large volume of painted pictures, said to be original dispatches from Montezuma to his allies, and captured by Cortez. The library contains books in all languages, dating from the present century, back four hundred years or more. It has no systematic ar- rangement or catalogue. The library building is an old convert which was confisicated for the purpose The iron fence, which encloses the edifice, is ornamented by marble busts of famous scientists, authors, and orators, and the plat of ground in front is graced by a beautiful bed of flowers. The Plaza Major, as before said, is the center of the city in every sense of the word. It is fully one thousand feet square and is beautifully laid out. In the center is the Zocalo, screened with groups of orange-trees, shrubbery, and flowers. Here, in a circular music stand, the military band gives concerts four times weekly, in the afternoon and evening. At the western side of the Zocalo is the flower market, whose perfume fills the atmosphere and whose beauty delights the eye. The market is presided over by pretty native girls, who importune you to buy the choice nosegays, and seldom is their entreaty in vain. The ancient Aztecwas an intense lover of flowers; he used them in all his ceremonies, even to fhose of the sacrifice; the modern native has lost none of his affection for these beautiful emblems, and uses them on every occasion. The most abundant flowers seen here are red and white roses, pinks of various colors, heliotrope, violets, poppies, both white and scarlet, and forget-me-nots. These flowers are artistically arranged in large bouquets, with a-backing of maiden-hair ferns, and are sold for fifteen cents each. The price, however, is not fixed, and one may easily purchase a bouquet for half the sum first named. 92 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. The principal market-place is situated near the plaza, at its southwest end, a block away. Sunday morning is the great market day of the week, the same as in all Mexican cities. Each line of trade has its special location, and the confusion of tongues, while bartering is going on, would silence the New York Stock Exchange. Occasionally, in the market, one will witness the Mexican style of saluting each other. This they do by embracing, and patting each other on the back in a most demonstrative manner. This seems rather a queer salutation for individuals of the same Sex, A tourist soon becomes acquainted with the topogra- phy of the city. The chief business street leads from the railroad dépot to the Plaza Major. The most fashionable street for shopping is that known as the Street of the Silver- smiths. This is nearly a mile in length, and of good width. The streets are mostly named from churches or convents standing on or near them. One street is named the Street of the Holy Ghost, after the church of the same name, situated near by. The Calle de San Francisco is another of the business thoroughfares devoted to busi- nesses of all kinds. The streets near the Plaza Major, and Alameda, are lighted by electricity, other portions of ‘the city proper by gas, and the outlying districts by oil- fed lanterns. One object, always observable in the city at night, is the lantern of the policeman placed in the middle of the junction of the streets, with the policeman himself standing beside it. The police system of the city is excellent, and very few street brawls happened during our six weeks’ sojourn. | The shops of Mexico, instead of having the name of the proprietor over the entrance, as in the United States, are all named; some of these names are worthy of record, and HOTELS AND THEATRES. 93 I give below a list of some of the most important, which were situated near our hotel: La Ciudad de Mexico. The City of Mexico. Abarrotes por Mayor y Menor. Bargains for better or worse, Al Progreso: VoxProgress. Las Fabricas de Francia. The Manufactures of France. Ele Tigre. Uhre iger: Providencia, Providence. Los Dos Amicos. (The Two Friends. La Diadema. The Diadem. El Nacional. The National. Botica de Porta Galli. Drug store of the Gate of Heaven. This last is very appropriate, for the contents of a drug store, The hotels of Mexico will not compare favorably with those of the States. The Iturbide is the largest and most fashionable jn the city, and is patronized by nearly all tourists. It is a spacious building, situated near the Plaza Major, and once served as the palace of Augustin de Iturbide, the first Emperor of Mexico. All the chamber- maids in the hotels here are men, ard very good servants they make. Inthe selection of a sleeping apartment the tourist should select one facing the east or south, thus se- curing an abundance of sunshine. - Regarding places of amusement, the city contains several theatres, and a circus. The best and most fashion- able theatre is the Teatro Nacional, built in 1844, having a seating capacity of three thousand persons. Here are held the commencement exercises of the military school of Chapultepec. A good opera company is engaged for a short annual season, but French, Spanish, and !talian Opera can be seen here the year round. Three other theatres, the Arbeu, the Hidalgo, and the Coliseo Viejo, are very good; there are also several others, open Sundays, but those are 94 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. rather to be avoided than sought after, There is aspacious bull-ring at the northern end of the paseo, where exhibitions are given to crowded houses on Sundays and festal days. The sport, however, is cruel and barbaric, and, although we patronized it on one occasion, yet the tourist had better forego this brutal entertainment. At the bull-fight which we attended, several horses were butchered, four or five bulls killed, and several men nearly lost their lives. One of the most admirable establishments in the city is the Monte de Piedad (signifying “The Mountain of Mercy”). It was founded by Count Regla, the owner of the Real del Monte silver mine, more than a century ago, who gave the sum of $300,000 for the purpose, in order that the poor might obtain advances on personal property at a low and reasonable rate of interest. Any article de- posited for this purpose is valued by two disinterested per- sons, and three-fourths of its value is advanced. - If the owner ceases to pay the interest on the loan the article is kept six months longer, when it is exposed for sale at a marked price. After six months more have passed, if the article is not disposed of, it is sold at public auction, and all that is realized above the sum which was advanced, together with the interest, is placed to the credit of the original owner. Thissum, if not called for in a given time, reverts to the bank. The establishment has also a safety vault, where all sorts of valuables are stored for safe keeping. One dollar is the smallest amount loaned, and ten thousand is the lar. est. The Museo Nacional, situated in the rear of the national palace, is of surpassing interest to the naturalist and anti- quarian, and we visited it soon after our arrival. As we entered, after ascending two flights of stairs, the first thing we Saw was a gigantic cast of the Megatherium Cuviert, In this room were also a few minerals. To the left of this : RARE SPECIMENS, 95 room we entered the Department of Paleontology. Here were displayed a number of very well preserved fossils, but, curiously enough, there were none from Mexico, all of them being from European and North American beds. At the farther end of the room were a number of plaster casts of extinct animals, mostly Plesiosauri and other saurians of the Jurassic and Liassic periods. To the right of the entrance was the Mineralogical Department. Here, for the first time we saw specimens from Mexico. The marbles, agates, precious metals, calcites, etc., were well represented. The arrangement was according to Dana, and the labels, all handsomely printed with the scientific and common names, locality, and formula, numbered according to his system. Larger labels were attached to the backs of the cases, and designated to what group the specimens be- longed. In the center of the hall was a gigantic stalactite, four feet in length, from the “‘Grata de Covrahuamilpa.” In the next hall beyond, we came to the Department of Mammalogy. The collection was fairly well represented by a number of carefully mounted specimens. Here we Saw a very good specimen oi the rare Hyrax capensis, en- closed in a handsome glass case. This animal, from Australia, is exceedingly rare, but few museums possessing specimens of it, and the Museo Nacional is to be congrat- ulated in possessing so fine and rare a specimen. To the right was a case of Anthropoid apes; beyond this a case containing representatives of the Family Felide. Here were several fine specimens of Fe/’s pardalis, Felis onca, and Felis concolor, all from Mexico. We next came to a case containing afine VOLCANO OF JORULLO. - 123 many of whom could not speak Spanish. Here we were compelled to eat our meals with our fingers, with what little aid we could get from a wooden spoon. Our fare consisted of fried eggs, beans, tortillas, and coffee, minus milk. In the thick woods about the valley were numbers of beautiful birds. - Here ‘T=saw; for the fxst time, the handsome blue macaws, Qi and a single toucan of large size. They flew very high, however, and MI was not able to shoot one. I : was able to shoot a Cassin’s King- ine vVoCIrEnUS pw.. .bird,. Crested -Cassic,’.a- Western Lark Sparrow, and a strange woodpecker; these, together with a small ground squirrel, were the only specimens obtained. On the following morning we started on horseback for the volcano of Jorullo, Our road lay over an old lava stream, and was covered with large and small blocks of lava. The base of the cone was reached in about an hour, and here the horses were left and the rest of the ascent ac- complished on foot. The surface of the cone was covered with scorie and the ascent was difficult, dangerous, and fatiguing. The rim of the crater was reached at ‘last, and the view afforded fully recompensed us for the exertion. Inside the crater steam was Seen issuing from several vent holes, and light detonations could be heard occasionally. On the north, south and west sides, the walls of the crater were intact, but on the eastern side the wall had been broken away, and the lava had flowed out in a great stream, which reached far down the valley. The temperature of one of the vent holes in the crater registered 124 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 150° Fahr., and the ground beneath our feet was so hot that we could scarcely bear our feet on it fora moment. The general form of the cone was that of a parallelogram; the broken side on the east, however, had so destroyed its outlines that it was difficult to determine just what had been its original shape. Jorullo erupted in September, 1759, converting what was a fertile plain, covered with VOLCANO OF JORULLO. sugar-cane, into a black desert, or malpays. Two small riv- ers were totally absorbed, and disappeared. At the present time (1895) Jorullo is showing signs cf great activity, and it is not at all impossible for it to again erupt, as in 1759. Should this happen, the village of La Playa and the numer- ous haciendas scattered about over the valley would be de- stroyed. ‘ About noon we left La Playa and retraced our steps to Patzcuaro, arriving there the second day after leaving La Playa. The night of the second day of our journey I sha]l not soon forget. Our way led over a rough mountain path, cut up by innumerable barrancas. The scene by moonlight was grand; the sky was clear, and the moon shone brightly, casting weird shadows here and there. The forest stood out black against the horizon, and to add to CINCO DE MAYO. 125 the effect, not a leaf was stirring, nor a sound to be _ heard. We had arrived in Patzcuaro on the Mexican Fourth of July, the holiday known to them as the Cinco de Mayo,—the Fifth of May,—to commemorate their victory over the French at Puebla during the French Intervention. Horns were blowing, cannons firing, and every demonstration of pleasure exhibited. Everybody was in holiday attire, the market place was filled with people, and the town generally had an air of great rejoicing. At 12:30 a. M. we rode on horseback to the dépot, and at 3 o’clock took the train for Mexico. | CHAPTER XII, May 9th we again set out, this time to visit Yautepec, where there was said to be good fields for study in Geology. The road,—the Morelos Railroad by the way,—was the same one over which we travelled to Amecameca. At the latter place the road passes along the base of the famous Sacro Monte. This hill rises abruptly from the plain; a shrine is placed here on its summit, around which all manner of legends are entwined. There is an image of the dead Christ preserved, which was placed there by Fray Martin, in 1527. For several centuries, annual pilgrimages have been made to this sacred spot, and there is reason to believe that all these rites and customs antedate christianity, from the fact that they are participated in almost wholly by © natives. From Amecameca to Ozumba the road was on a slightly descending grade, through a fertile valley, with the peaks of the snow-capped mountains on the left. In the fields were seen several natives using the ancient plough of wood, drawn by oxen. At Ozumba the steep descent began; in many places the track could be seen three times in the same place, where it doubled and twisted to obtain a foothold on the steep side of the mountain. At Nepantla we passed the up train, and here were seen several cages of beautiful birds in the dépot. At Cuautla - we encountered, after passing through a most desolate region, a spot which seemed like an oasis in the midst of a desert, it was so green and fertile. At 3:45 we arrived in Yau- tepec and secured accommodations in the Zaragoza hotel. Yautepec is a picturesque little town, situated in the midst of a barren volcanic region. The streets are narrow and TOWN OF YAUTEPEC. 127 crooked, and the houses are built of stone, with tiled roofs, as in many of the other towns we had visited. The streets are paved with cobble-stones in a very uneven manner, and resemble some of the streets in Philadelphia in this respect. In the center of the town, near the river, is a good sized Plaza, with —a.*iountain im “the .center:- There-are stone benches about the square, and a band stand near the foun- tain Flower-beds add to the beauty and picturesqueness of the square. The buildings facing the plaza are mostly used for government purposes, and are not very imposing. A river runs through the town, and is crossed by a stone bridge of good construction. Near the bridge a number of women and men were bathing, the men on one side and the women on the other, both destitute of bathing clothes. It seemed rather strange to us, but was the custom, and, of course, aroused no curiosity among the inhabitants. A little way from the river is a large hill, called Cerro de Calveria, which is used as a place of pilgrimage by the inhabitants. There is a cross on its summit, anda stony path leads to it, over which the devout natives crawl on their hands and knees. | _The banks of the river were lined with thick vegetation, in which I distinguished the trees of the anona, date palm, banana, and orange. The ash, tepiguaje, and parotilla were very commonly seen. From the summit of the Cerro de Calveria a magnificent view was obtained; at our feet lay the town of Yautepec, with its curious winding streets and queer houses; on the outskirts were seen beau- tiful, green gardens of orange and banana trees laid out in Squares, and mixed in here and there were mangos, anonas, and many other fruit trees of the tropics; in the background rose the black and rugged peaks of the broken-down vol- canoes, and behind these rose the loftly mountain range of the Mexican Plateau, surmounted by the glistening white 128 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. ~dome of Popocatepetl, piercing the clouds; through the center of the town flowed the little, nameless river, flowing through a beautiful gorge bordered by luxuriant vegetation. All about us were old volcanic cones, the only green and fertile spot to be seen being the town of Yautepec We could see that the lava streams which flowed from Popo- catepetl on the southeast were very large, and must have reached nearly, or quite, to, the Gulf. The small cones about the base of the plateau looked broken and jagged, as though a tremendous explosion had taken place. Molluscan life was here quite abundant, and I was for- tunate enough to discover anew species of Potamopyrgus, which Mr. H. A Pilsbry has called P. Bakert in honor of its discoverer. It was found in the little river which runs through . the town. Such forms as Pupa servilis, P Con- y tracta, Stenopus elegans, , Planorbis parvus, and N\ Physa osculans were quite numerous. Birds / were not numerous. POTAMOPYRGUS BAKERI, PILSBRY. The town was built upon Cretaceous limestone, and several mountain ridges could be seen to the southwest. The whole plateau, and the numerous small cones in the neighborhood, seemed to have been thrust up through this deposit. At the bridge crossing the river a curious fact was observed; the rock on the left bank was composed of limestone, while that on the opposite side was composed of lava, the river flowing between the two deposits. At night we had a concert of .frogs, which made most DRAINAGE OF MEXICO. 129 extraordinary noises. There were three kinds, which could frequently all be heard at once. One of these made a noise something like what one would expect a frog to make, namely, a dismal croak, but the sounds uttered by the others were like no sound I ever heard an animal make before. A distant railway-train approaching, and a black- smith hammering on an anvil, were the only noises with which I could compare them. Two days were spent in this interesting town, when we returned to Mexico and from thence to Zumpango, to visit the Nochistongo cut. Here the English engineering firm of Reed & Campbell were engaged in digging a huge tun- nel to drain the valley of Mexico, and especially lake Zumpango, whose waters had long threatened the destruc- tion of the City of Mexico. This tunnel was to be nine and one-half miles in length, and at an average depth of two hundred and fifty feet. The tunnel was to connect with the Zajo de Nochistongo (the cut before referred to),- and the waters carried from thence into the Montezuma River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. This great canal was commenced in 1601 for the proper drainage of the valley of Mexico. It varied in width from two hun- dred and eighty to six hundred and thirty feet, with a depth of from one hundred and fifty to one hundred and ninety-six feet. The Mexican government endeavored to utilize it for drainage purposes a few years ago, but the _attempt was a failure, and the present company were using it as a terminus for the tunnel. The City of Mexico is much below the level of several of the lakes, the waters of lakes Chalco and Yochimilco being ten, and those of lake Zumpango twenty-five feet above the city. In order to save the city, which has been twelve times wholly and partially inundated, it was decided to _ divert the waters of Zumpango into the river Montezuma, 130 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. as described above. For three hundred years the sewers of the city have attempted to discharge into lake Texcoco, but the refuse matter is continually floating back again, and so the filth of nearly five hundred years is accumu- lated beneath the streets of the city. It is to assist this drainage, also, that these works are being carried on. Two days were spent at Zumpango, and a good deal of information gained concerning the geological formation of the valley. On our return to Mexico we passed the lht- tle town of Popotla, in which is the famous Arbol de la Noche Triste, the ‘‘ Tree of the Sorrowful Night,” under which Cortez was said to have wept when driven from the City of Mexico. This was an old cypress with blasted, jagged limbs, and black trunk. It was surrounded by a railing to keep curiosity hunters from carrying the tree away. On the twenty-fifth of May we left the City of Mexico, for the last time, for Veracruz, by the way of Tehuacan, aay where we wished to visit the A onyx quarries. As we sped fi £5 : j along the shore of lake Tex- Ee" ~=—coco, the two mountains, Popo- cateptl and Ixtaccihuatl, stood out bold and clear as though bidding us farewell. About noon we arrived at Esperanza, where we change from steam to -mule traction for Tehuacan. These tram-cars were very pe- I ait culiar, being divided into com- eee = partments like an English rail- ees “= way carriage. The line ran be- tween two ranges of limestone hills, and was continually descending. As we got deeper among the hills palmetto - TOWN OF TEHUACAN. 131 and freycinetta trees appeared, and the Spanish bayonet, that plant with the terrible sharp-pointed leaves, was seen in clusters here and there. A portion of the way we bor- dered a deep and picturesque cafion on the left, the track here running close to the base of the mountain on that side, At 5:30 Pp. M. we entered Tehuacan. The town seemed to be about as large as that of Orizaba. The buildings, however, were more tastefully built, and had considerably more ornamentation. In the center was the usual plaza. This was neat and trim, and flowers were more numerous than in any previous town ‘visited. It was now tenanted principally by a flock of grackles, who were making the air musical with their chat- tering. The churches here were of a superior quality as regarded architecture; one, in particular, had a dome built of tiles in the form of a mosaic, The bells were also wonderfully sweet and silvery in tone, and it was a pleasure to hear the chimes peal forth their notes on the still evening air. Altogether, Tehuacan had an air of freshness about it which was very pleasing. On the morning after our arrival we procured horses and a mozo, and started to visit the onyx quarries, situated near the village of San Antonio. My horse, unfortu- nately, was not as good as my companions’ who soon dis- tanced me, and I was compelled to visit the quarries alone. The road was over an undulating country, sandy, and in many places thickly covered with bushes, with here and there a large tree. Cacti were everywhere abundant, growing’ in immense masses, having great woody stems as thick as a man’s body, and were quite a novel feature in the landscape. Many of them were of the branched cande- labrum form, and twenty to thirty feet in height. Other kinds were also abundant, some of them growing very low and shaped like a barrel. By the roadside several varie- 132 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. . ties of minerals cropped out, and quite a collection was obtained. About noon I reached the little village of San Anto- nio, situated in a ravine, and on the opposite side of the ravine the marble quarry was seen. The village consisted of but a half dozen huts, and the inhabitants scampered out of sight as soon as they saw me. The onyx quarries were just outside of, and several hundred feet above, the village. Here were lying about huge pieces of onyx sev- eral feet square. One block was fully twelve feet long, and a foot and a half in thickness. The whole mountain seemed to be a mass of this mineral, and the road was paved with polished marble made bright by the constant travel over it. This onyx was a crust, interbedded with the distinctive limestone. Huippuritc fossils were found above and below, which determined its position. The beds were several feet in thickness The absence of animal life about these mountains was remarkable. Scarcely a bird was to be seen, and they were, curiously enough, mostly birds of prey.. A few ground-col- ored lizards and a cotton-tail rabbit were the only other animals seen. On the following day we left Tehuacan for Veracruz. CHAPTER XIII. May 28th we left Veracruz for Jalapa. From Vera- cruz to San Juan, sixteen miles, we passed through a most delightful tropical country, the road running through an almost impenetrable jungle. Birds here were numerous, but I was not able to identify them. _ We reached San Juan by train, where we changed to mule traction. The road was very tortuous, winding up long hills and down steep gulches. Our route was through the old national road by way of Cerro Gordo. It was at this hamlet, consisting of a few mud huts, that General Scott, in 1847, outflanked and defeated the Mexican army under Santa Ana. Jalapa,—pronounced Halapa,—is sit- uated about sixty miles northwest of Veracruz, and is used bythe people of the latter city as a sanitarium to escape from the ravages of yellow fever, Its situation is very salubrious, as it is located some four thousand feet above the sea coast. : Jalapa has a population (permanent) of some’ fourteen thousand. It contains a large cathedral and numerous churches, once handsome structures, but now fallen into decay. The town,is situated on the hill of Macuiltepec, and many of the streets are therefore very steep, and the scenery really beautiful. The low stone houses are perched on the hillsides, and the streets are irregular. Among the many attractions of Jalapa, those of its beautiful women and lovely flowers are probably the widest known. In its gardens may be gathered the fruits of almost every zone. Here grows the aromatic vanilla plant, which is indiginous and grows wild in abundance in the forest; it is a great source of income to the inhabitants. The plant requires 134 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. only shade and moisture, and theclimate doesthe rest. The fiowers of this plant are of a greenish-yellow, touched here and there with white. The pods grow in pairs and are about as large around as one’s little finger, and six inches long. The pods are green at first and gradually grow yellow, and then to brown, as they become fully ripe. They are carefully dried in the sun, being touched during the process with palm oil which gives them a soft, glossy effect when they reach the consumer’s hands. The quantity shipped from Jalapa is very large, and proves an important source of revenue. It is said that the Totonacs, who dwelt in the region, cultivated this plant, the Aztec nobles being very fond of the fragrant vegetable. Another notable plant which grows here, and from which the town derives its name, is the jalap, an important drug in our medical practice. Near Jalapa are seen the ruins of an ancient town, the builders of which must have attained to a high degree of civilization. They resemble the ruins of Yucatan, and are supposed to have been built at about the same time. The atmosphere of Jalapa is always humid, and the town is often overshadowed by clouds which come up from the Gulf of Mexico, heavy with moisture to be pre- cipitated in the form of rain. A sort of ‘‘drizzle” prevails — here most of the time. In the center of the town is situated the old convent of San Francisco, supposed to have been erected by Cor- tez. It was also the birthplace of General Santa Ana, the most noted of Mexican soldiers of fortune. His neglected hacienda is pointed out to all tourists. No man living had a more checkered career, now falling from position only -to reach a greater elevation, from which to be ignomini- ously hurled. The natives go about during the day only half clad, TOWN OF JALAPA. 135 both men and women exposing a large portion of the bare body to the atmosphere; at night, however, it was observed that both sexes protected their necks and shoul- ders with wraps; the men winding their woolen serapes over their necks and the lower parts of their faces, and the women covering theirs with their reboses. The change of temperature soon after sunset and in the early mornings, as compared with the rest of the day, is very decided throughout Mexico. Foreigners who follow the native customs avoid taking cold, while those who do not, ‘suffer for their heedlessness. A peculiarity was observed at Jalapa. While most of the women in Mexico are dark-hued, yet a large number of those one meets in Jalapa are decidedly blondes, hav- ing light hair with blue eyes, and possessing as blooming complexions as any of our country girls in the States. Like all Spanish cities, the windows of the dwellings are secured by a screen of iron bars,-and many fronts, where the house is of two stories in height, have also little bal- conies. These balconies are much in use by lovers. A Mexi- can never goes about a courtship in an open, straightforward man- ner, but: onthe contrary he forms cunning schemes for meeting his fair inamorata, and. employs ingenious. subterfuges to gain a stolen interview. He tells his passion not in words, but with profound sighs and signifi- MEXICAN COURTSHIP. cant glances as he passes her balcony, while she, although perfectly understanding his pantomine, assumes the most profound innocence. Finally, 136 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. after a good deal of pretentious pantomime, the fair sefiorita appears to realize the purport of all his worry, and seems gradually to yield to his silent importunities. This is called ‘‘Playing the Bear.” There is also the language of the fan, of the flowers, of the fingers, all of which are pressed into the service of the young couple. A small book is sold in the stores of Mexico which contains a printed code of the significance of certain flowers, a ‘‘dumb alpha- bet” for the fingers, and the meaning of the motions of the ever ready fan. The gradual opening of a fan signifies reluctant forgiveness, a rapid flirt scorn, an abrupt closing signifies vexation, and the striking of it with the palm of the hand expresses anger. In short, the fan can be more eloquent than words if in the hands of a Mexican senorita. This, however, is only preliminary. All parents are pre- sumed to be absolutely opposed to all lovers’ wishes, and great diplomacy is consequently required. This game often continues for a twelvemonth before anything is consum- mated. The charm in this kind of courting seems to be in its secrecy and difficulties, both real and assumed. Between the lofty peak of Orizaba and the Cofre de Perote there exists nrany traces of a very numerous popu- lation, which must have occupied the country long previous to the time of Cortez. This locality is abundantly sup- pled with water, is fertile to an extraordinary degree, and possesses an exceptionally healthy climate. The remains of stone dwellings are to be found here, which must have laid here ruined for many centuries. Huge oak trees, four feet in diameter, are found growing among the ruins, proving their age. A number of stone pyramids have been found here also, some ten, others fifty feet in height; several of these have been opened and found to contain skeletons and highly decorated rooms. Why this locality is not used for agricultural purprses is a puzzle. : VILLAGE OF SAN JUAN. 137 On our return to Veracruz, we stopped a couple of. days at the little village of San Juan. The village con- sisted of ten or fifteen huts, and its population was not over seventy-flve or one hundred. It was situated, how- ever, in the midst of a dense tropical jungle, and on this. account was of great interest to us. On leaving the vil- lage we walked along a straight country road, constructed above the level of the surrounding land. It had low swampy ground on one side, and the other was high enough to be quite dry. Leaving the road and turning into another, we arrived at a part where the lofty forest towered up like a wall, five or six yards from the path, to the height of a hundred feet. The trunks of the trees were only seen partially here and there, nearly the whole frontage from ground to summit being covered with a drapery of creeping plants, all of the most vivid green ; scarcely a flower was to be seen, except in some places a solitary scarlet blossom, set in the green mantle. The low ground on the borders, between the forest wall and the road, was encumbered with a tangled mass of shrubby veg- etation. About this spot numerous butterflies were sport- ing in the warm sunlight. A mile further on the character of the woods changed, and we found ourselves in the primeval forest. Here the land was rather more elevated; the many swamp plants with their long and broad leaves were wanting, and there was less underwood, although the trees were wide apart. In almost every hollow was a little brock, whose cold, dark, leaf stained waters were bridged over by tre2 trunks. The ground was carpeted by Lycopodiums—those beautiful fern-like mosses—and was also encumbered with masses of vegetable débris and a thick coating of dead leaves. Fruits of many kinds were scattered about, among which were many kinds of beans, some of the pods being six 138 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. inches long, flat and leathery in texture ; others were hard as stone. What attracted our attention chiefly were the colossal trees. The general run of trees had not remarka- bly thick stems; the great height to which they grew with- .out throwing out a branch was a much more noticeable feature than their thickness; but at intervals of a rod or two a veritable giant towered up to a height of a hundred and fifty feet. Birds here were very numerous. SBeautiful cassiques were continually flying about from tree to tree, uttering their peculiar note, which sounded like the creaking of a rusty hinge. On almost every tall tree we saw a hawk or buzzard. Pretty paroquets were very plentiful, and it was amusing tg watch the activity with which they climbed about over the trees, and how suddenly and simultaneously they flew away when alarmed. Their plumage was so nearly the color of the foliage that it was sometimes im- possible to see them, though one might have seen them enter a tree, and hear them twittering overhead, and, after gazing until one’s patience was exhausted, see them fly off with a scream of triumph. The Molluscan genera Physa and Planorbis were very common. Late in the afternoon of the second day we returned to Veracruz, and secured accommodations in the Hotel Uni- versal, fronting the Plaza Major. CHAPTER XIV, Tue City of Veracruz is said to be one of the most unhealthy spots on this continent, and the vomito holds high carnival six months of the year, claiming a large number of victims annually. The yellow fever makes its appearance in May, and is generally at its worst in Aug- ust and September, when it creeps upwards towards Jal- apa and Orizaba, although it has never been known to Exisk. to-any etert. extent, in either of these places. © In summer the streets of Veracruz are almost deserted except by the buzzards and stray dogs, and at such times the city is called, very appropriately, Una ciudad de los muertos (a city of the dead). A large share of the business of the city is carried on by French and German residents, who have become accli- mated. Many of the merchants of the city keep up a permanent residence at Jalapa to escape this dreaded enemy. It is said that when a> person has once con- tracted the disease, and recovered from it, he is presumed to be exempt from a second attack; this is a rule, how ever, not without an exception. It is singular that the climate of the Gulf side of the peninsula should be so fatal to human life, while the Pacific side, situated in the same latitude, is so very*healthy. The French army had reason to remember Veracruz, for the fever decimated their ranks to the number of four thousand men. The city is said to be more or less oriental in aspect. Everything is seen through a lurid atmosphere. Groups of mottled church towers surmounted by glittering crosses; square, flat-roofed houses; a long reach of hot sandy plain on either side relieved by a few palm trees; and 140 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. ° rough fortifications—these make up the picture of the flat shore. There are no suburbs, the dreary, sandy desert creeping up elose to the city. In the background, how- ever, the monotonous scene is relieved by the Sierra Madre range of mountains, culminating in the peak of Orizaba. The long, straight, narrow streets are laid out with great uniformity, and cross each other at right angles, the monotony being broken by green blinds opening on the lit- tle balconies, which are shaded by awnings. The area of the city is not over sixty acres, the town being built ina very compact manner. The streets are crowded in _ busi- ness hours; mule carts, porters, half-naked water-carriers, natives, negroes, and active civilians, besides a few military officers, are seen jostling each other. In the plaza pretty flower-girls mingle with fruit venders, lottery-ticket sellers, and here and there a half-tipsy seamen on shore-leave from the shipping in the roadstead. The Plaza de la Constitucion is small in extent, about two hundred feet square, but it is very attractive, having a bronze fountain in its center, the gift of Carlotta, the un- fortunate wife of Maximilian. In the evening the plaza is liglited by electricity. The plaza is ornamented with many lovely tropical flowers, cocoanut palms, and fragrant roses. On a pleasant evening it is amusing to watch the young people in shady corners making love, not, however, the legitimate Romeo and Juliet sort observed in Jalapa. There are but few places of interest in Veracruz after visiting the governor’s palace, the plaza, the alameda, with its fine array of cocoa-palms, the custom-house, the public library, and the large church fronting the plaza. This latter, while an imposing structure, will not compare well with the cathedrals in the other cities visited. One street, called the Street of Christ, leads to the Campo Santo, or burial ground, where nature has adorned the CITY OF VERACRUZ. 141 neglected city of the déad with beautiful and fragrant flowers. The city houses are built of coral limestone, stuccoed. The corals are identical with species now found living in the harbor. The interior arrangements are like those else- where described. The narrow streets are kept scrupulously clean, are paved with cobble-stones, and have a gutter running down the middle. The garbage wagons make their rounds twice daily, gathering up all the refuse mat- ter. There is another keen-eyed scavenger, however, which is much more effectual and thorough than these garbage gatherers; these are the dark-plumed buzzards, or zopilo- tes (Catharista atrata), who are always on the alert to pick up and devour refuse matter of any sort found in the streets or about the houses. They even fight among themselves for coveted pieces of garbage on top of the wagons, and frequently the wagon will be half emptied before it reaches the dumping place. Ses They are wisely protected by law, “ay F and a fine imposed for killing them. Clouds of these birds may be seen roosting upon the eaves of the houses, the church belfries, and all exposed balconies. As the sun sets, the vultures flock to the domes of the churches, until the latter are literally ZOPILOTE. black with them. There 1s" one mystery in regard to these birds which naturalists are trying to solve, namely, their breeding place. No one knows where they go to build their nests and rear their young. . Although Veracruz has suffered more than almost any other capital from bombardments, ravages of bucca- neers, hurricanes, fevers, and changes of rulers, yet it is 142 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO, still a prosperous city. A brief glance at its past his- tory shows us that in 1568 it was in the hands of pirates, that in 1683 it was sacked by buccaneers, and was de- vastated by a conflagration in 1618. In 1822-23 it was bombarded by the Spaniards, who still held the castle of San Juan dela Ulua. In 1838 it was attacked by a French fleet, and in 1847 was bombarded by the American forces. In 1856 it was nearly destroyed by a hurricane, and in 1859 civil war decimated the town and fortress. From 1861 to 1867 it was in the hands of the French and Imperialists. From that time, however, it has enjoyed a period of quiet and a large share of commercial prosperity. 3 Veracruz, though at present the principal seaport of the Republic, is without a harbor worthy of the name, being situated on an open roadstead and offering no safe anchorage among its shoals, coral reefs, and surfs. It is not safe for vessels to anchor within half a mile of the shore. A cluster of dangerous reefs, including the Island of San Juan, form a slight protection from the open Gulf, although this.is sometimes more dangerous than an open roadstead. A sea-wall shelters the street facing upon the water. A good breakwater would make Veracruz one of the safest harbors along the Gulf, but such an improvement necessitates a large outlay, and is not ey to be under- taken yet a while in the land of ‘“‘mafiana,” ~ The greater portion of our time was spent in the har- bor studying the reefs. As we passed over the clear water a perfect treasure-house of nature’s wonders could be seen beneath the surface. Corals were growing in rich profusion, and animal life of all kinds was very abundant. Here, over a sandy spot, was crawling a large Triton, a trumpet shell; there, just beneath the surface, were several beautifully colored fishes swimming lazily along; the corals looked very beautiful growing; the Madreporas, with their ZNYOVYIA JO ALIO “AX 3Lv1d CORAL REEFS. 143 broad, palmate fronds, and the Meandrinas, with their rounded, pavement-like outlines, stretching far away under the water. With the corals that were brought up by our diver came mollusks, echinoderms, worms, crabs, and a host of marine animals, all of which were transferred to our collecting cans. With what curiosity and expectation we watched the diver beneath the ocean as he patiently pulled and tugged away at a specimen, and how quickly we leaned forward and took the treasure from his hands lest he should damage it! The reefs in the harbor of Veracruz consist of a number of detached islands from less than half a mile to a mule and a half in length, which extend eastward from the coast line for a distance of nearly six miles. They are known as the Gallega (on which is built the castle of /San Juan), Galleguilla, Blanquilla, Anegada de Adentro, Isla Verde, Islote de Pajaros, and Sacrificos. Of these, the Gallega is the largest, measuring in a north-and-south direction considerably over a mile. In view of the peculiar conditions which surround these reefs, it is difficult to under- stand how it has come to be the general belief among scien- tists that coral reefs are not found in the western waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Neither Darwin nor Dana mention their existence. Few recollections of my Mexican rambles are more vivid and agreeable than those of my many walks over the white sea of sand bordering the shore. Far out at sea the white waves were seen breaking over the coral reefs, and in some places dashing high in the air in a sheet of foam as it struck some large barrier. At our feet the waves were rolling in with that soft, ripply murmur so character- istic of a sandy ocean beach. A little way out the sea birds were flying about, and stranded on a reef a mile or more from shore was a large vessel, which had been blown 144 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. there but a few months ago by anorther. Far, far out at sea were seen several vessels, one a large steamer with a column of black smoke pouring from her smoke-stack. ihe beach was strewn with all manner of débris thrown up by the storms. Lively little crabs were always very abun- dant, and at every step one would start up and run for his hole in the sand, and if I did not venture to pursue would remain near it and stare at me, his curious stalked eyes moving up and down in a very comical manner. Marine animals were quite abundant about Veracruz. Among the corals the MZadreporas, Porites, Orbicellas, Di- plorias, and Siderastr@as were common. The absence of Gor- gonias was very noticeable, and only one species was seen (Plexaura Gorgonta) flexuosa), and this not in great abundance. The large fields of Gorgonias, which so beautify the waters of the reefs of many of the West India islands, were wanting here and with it, of course, the host of brilliantly colored forms associated with them. PURPURA HEMASTOMA. Among the Echinoderms Diadema setosum, Echinometra subangularis, and Mellita pentapora, were exceedingly abun- dant. The mollusks were the most common, and several hundred species were obtained. Such species as Purpura hemastoma Floritana, Ricinula nodulosa, Coralliophila ab- breviata, Conus mus, Columbella nitida were the most numerous in individuals. “In theswamp near thecity, Ampullaria and Planorbis was abundant. Land mollusks were very rare. Flelix griseola, Liguus princeps, anda single Succinea were the only forms found. Seven species of crustacea were found, all Decapods, among which was one new form, Peneus Brasiliensis, var Aztecus, The vertebrates were scarce, the vultures being about all of this group which we saw, be- sides a few sea birds. JOURNEY HOME. 145 May 3lst we packed our specimens, bade good-bye to our friends in the city, and embarked on the steamship Yumuri for New York, via Progreso and Havana. Our journey homeward was without any notable event, save one, and that a sad one. Among our passengers were a number of musicians who had been travelling with Orin’s circus. One of these men was suffering with delirium tremens, and had been placed under surveillance; but one afternoon, when we were at dinner, he eluded his guard and jumped overboard. Although every effort was made to find him it was of no avail, and the steamer was obliged to proceed on her journey without him. The event cast a gloom over the rest of the passengers for several days. Ten days later we arrived in Philadelphia, where we were warmly welcomed, and congratulated upon our safe return ~ from a long but delightful journey through the most inter- esting portion of the Mexican Republic. Peers rue i} Huh ne Waa NPE Pal aa chy i yes $e SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRARIES VTILITAI | c; 9088 00095 esi