YUCATAN. 93 
who first reached the country in the middle of October 1878. The summer rains had 
ceased about ten days previously and the weather had been good, but throughout 
Qctober, November, and December ‘norther’ followed ‘norther’ every ten to 
fourteen days, accompanied by light drizzling rain which lasted generally from two 
to four days with increasing cold. In January there were four moderately heavy 
rainfalls with strong ‘northers’ and cold nights. In February there were five 
‘northers’ and one with very heavy rainfall accompanied by hailstones of such size 
that they were quickly gathered up and by many people placed in bottles thinking that 
they might so be preserved. From February 26th to May 23rd no rain fell and the 
sky was cloudless for weeks at a time. The heat during the day gradually increased, 
until in April and May it was almost intolerable, and on account of the dry air and 
clear sky the radiation was so great that the nights were disagreeably cool, though 
generally so balmy and pleasant. ‘The birds disappeared as the dry season advanced, 
when only a few common resident species round the ranchos and Aguadas were to be 
found. On May 23rd the first summer rains commenced and were followed by daily 
showers at mid-day. All nature changed as if by magic, new leaves grew, and the 
forests were again populated with songsters. In June the rains began at 11 a.m. and 
ceased at 2 P.M. with an almost daily regularity. In July they began at 10 a.m. 
and ceased at 3 or 4 P.M., but never earlier. In August it rained from 10 a.m. till 
nightfall and sometimes later. During these last three months there were from five 
to eight days in each month upon which no rain fell. The heat was almost insup- 
portable, even to the natives, and yellow fever raged in the towns of the interior. In 
September the rains lasted from 8 or 9 a.m. till midnight and not infrequently all 
night, but the weather became milder. Reptiles were almost the only things to be 
found. In October 1879, during the first twenty-seven days, rain fell in torrents and 
almost incessantly, the sun was seen but on four or five days and the stars appeared in 
patches on five nights only, and not five consecutive hours were fine during those 
twenty-seven days. Yellow fever gave place to bilious fever. Insects were rarely seen, 
birds almost entirely disappeared, and any skins were worthless, as either owing to the 
heavy rain or to some other cause the feathers had not yet commenced to grow. 
An account of Yucatan would scarcely be complete without some particulars of the 
distribution of species and a comparison with that of the islands off the coast and in 
the Bay of Honduras, which were visited on our behalf by Dr.Gaumer. In a summary 
of the island-birds examined in detail by Salvin (‘ Ibis,’ 1890, pp. 84-95) he arrives at 
the conclusion that they split up naturally into three groups. Leaving out Meco, the 
exact position of which is uncertain, he considers that those from Holbox and Mugeres 
may be classed together, Cozumel by itself, and Ruatan and Bonaca (Guanaja) by . 
themselves, though all show a strong affinity to the birds of the mainland. The two 
last named islands are stated to be very different in their physical features to the 
others mentioned ; they are of high altitude and attain an elevation of 1200 feet, and 
