i6o 



FIELD COLUMBIAN MUSEUM ZOOLOGY, VOL. VII. 



and to Mr. Winslow, U. S. Consul General, for many courtesies; also 

 to Mr. Hodgson and Mr. Tisdal, of the Guatemala Central Railroad, 

 who very materially aided me in transportation. I am especially 

 indebted to Mr. Carlos Palma, of the Consulate of Cuba, who very 

 greatly aided me in my business relations with the Government 

 Officials of Guatemala. 



It is, perhaps, not out of place here to state that this investigation 

 grew out of a desire of President Cabrera to do something to increase 

 the value of the food supply of Lake Amatitlan. He therefore asked 

 Hon. George M. Bowers, U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, to 

 recommend some person who was properly trained to make the neces- 

 sary preliminary investigation, to insure the best possible results. 



Very little has been done towards the study of the Zoology of 

 tropical lakes, which makes the study of these bodies of water of 

 some scientific value. The Government of Guatemala has already 

 begun to establish a Fish Cultural station on Lake Amatitlan, the 

 results of which will be watched with considerable interest. 



It might also be well to note here that no attempt was made to 

 collect and study the insects in or about the lake. The species of 

 insects most important in an investigation of this kind are those forms 

 whose larvae live for a time in the water. During the winter, or dry 

 season, these insects are less active than in the summer, or wet season. 



VOLCAN DE AGUA FROM LAKE AMATITLAN 



