CHAPTER VIII. 



Description of San Antonio Valley Great variety of animal life 

 Pitcher-flowered Marcgravias Flowers fertilized by Hum- 

 ming-birds By Insects Provision in some flowers to prevent 

 insects, not adapted for carrying the pollen, from obtaining 

 access to the nectaries Stories about Wasps Humming-birds 

 bathing Singular Myriapods Ascent of Pena Blanca Tapirs 

 and Jaguars Summit of Pena Blanca. 



ON the northern side of the Santo Domingo valley, op- 

 posite to iny house, a branch valley came down from the 

 north, which we called the San Antonio Yalley. It inter- 

 sected all the lodes we were working, and I constructed a 

 tramway up it as far as the most northern mine, called San 

 Benito, by which we brought down the ore to the stamps 

 and the firewood for the steam-engine, and in a short time 

 we had cleared all the timber from the lower part of the 

 valley ; and a dense scrub or second growth sprang up, 

 through which numerous paths were made by the wood- 

 cutters. I was almost daily up this valley, visiting the 

 mines, or in the evening after the workmen had left, and 

 on Saturday afternoons, when they discontinued work at 

 two o'clock. On Sundays, too, it was our favourite walk, 

 for the tramway was dry to walk on ; there were tunnels, 

 mines, and sheds at various parts to get into if one of the 

 sudden heavy showers of rain came on ; and there were 

 always flowers or insects, or birds to claim one's atten- 

 tion. I planned the whole of the tramway; the upper 



