VOL. I. | Mexican Notes. 105 
three of the largest and finest butterfles I had yet seen; they were 
upon the tree trunks, and as I had no net with me, I could only 
look and admire, and assure them that I would certainly return and 
make better acquaintance another day. And it is only fair to an- 
ticipate a little, and say that I did return and hunted those butter- 
flies diligently, but never got one of them. 
On the return home I got a splendid oriole, much like the north- 
ern bullocki, only larger; also, one much larger still, black and yel- 
low in color, which must be the most elegant oriole in Mexico. By 
this time it was raining, and it was a long, muddy road home to my 
comfortable rooms. 
Next day was also unfavorable. A few hardy butterflies were out, 
and were captured. Quite a lot of new plants found place in my 
plant press, among them one growing in wet places and looking like 
a wild oat, but with blue blossoms. I visited the spot four times to 
get flowering specimens. An G:nothera also grew in the wet places 
close by, and a great lot of Solanums of strange look. To get 
some ‘‘tomatas” growing as weeds in a vegetable garden [| intru- 
ded upon cultivated ground, when the owner, espying me, advanced 
rapidly, for he thought I was getting some of his green peas; but 
when he came near I courteously saluted, and then he was lost in 
amazement at the queer proceeding of pressing plants, and soon 
grew enthusiastic, and insisted upon showing me all the curious 
weeds upon the place. Among them, indigo, a great variety ot 
morning-glories, and the most densely-spined plant I ever met. 
Cereus Schottii (2) grows freely in this region, especially in the hills 
immense trees of it are seen. Curiously enough these big cacti are 
usually deeply dug about by treasure hunters. Some I have seen 
nearly uprooted by this digging about the roots, for though every 
isolated rock or knoll is taken for a sign-post which points to hid- 
den treasures, every hill-top pitted with holes, these large cacti 
especially are taken as land marks. Upon this subject of treasure- 
hunting I may, later, have more to say. At present I am trying to 
say that the smaller limbs or sections of this cactus—pieces six or 
~ eight feet long and six inches in diameter—are used to make fences, 
being set in the trenches like stakes or palisades, where they take 
root, forming a live fence that is impassable for man, beast or bird. 
Upon the young growth of this cactus I found the largest beetle I 
saw in Mexico, a Curculio. Some miles of these fences I scanned, 
