THE MUSEUM. 



23 



ICO I concluded to make my head- 

 •quarters in Estadas de Tamanlipas. 

 i am located on a ranch in the heart 

 •of almost a wilderness but really a col- 

 lector s paradise. Owing to climate, 

 "vegetation, etc., I am satisfied I am 

 within reach of all tropical and semi- 

 tropical products, in the way of Nat- 

 ural Science. I struck this country 

 "with a set determination of bringing 

 to science everything of interest and 

 for the past few weeks have been 

 studying bird and animal life in their 

 peculiar haunts. It is a great pleasure 

 to me to be in a new field where I can 

 constantly look for new species of 

 birds and mammals. Ne.xt spring I 

 hope to secure a large number of eggs, 

 many of which will be practically new 

 to collections in the States, as Cop- 

 pery-tailed Trogan and 2 or 3 do^en 

 other species. Some of the more com- 

 mon birds one meets with are Texan 

 Kinglisher, Gnat Ivory-billed Wood- 

 pecker, Great Rufous-bellied Kingfish- 

 er, Motmots rthe birds that with their 

 beaks trim off two of the long feathers 

 in their tail for a space of an inch or 

 so, making the tail look as if there 

 was a tuft on the end), P>ecards, Inca, 

 Doves, Goldfinches, Wrens, Trogans, 

 Derby L'lycarcher, Parrots various 

 kinds. Brown Jays, Mexican Crows, 

 Ani's, Squirrels and a large fauna of 

 small mammals. I am now making 

 up a series of these. I hope in later 

 letters to give the readers of the Mus- 

 eum notes on some of my trips after 

 birds, and some of the curious traits of 

 these semi-tropical species. 



"To the north of my headquarters 

 stretches immense swamps covered 

 with shrubbery, coarse grasses and 

 "Tular" as well as Malarial To the 



south runs the Tamesi and Paunco 

 Rivers, and heavy forests, while to 

 the west stretches the Sirra Madre 

 range of mountains and table lands. 

 Most any kind of collecting ground is 

 within a few days journey on, as the 

 Mexican's call it, God's own animal 

 the burro, an animal well adapted to 

 the country and people, who depend 

 on him to do everything, even to liv- 

 ing without food or water, subsisting 

 on brush fences and rags. Here is 

 the country where ants build wooden 

 houses in trees and where everything 

 that grows except the Ihirro has 

 thorns on it, some of which are trained 

 to hold you when you are following 

 something rare or throw you down 

 while another species stick you. 



This is the home of the air plant 

 that will grow without moisture or tak- 

 ing root on anything. 



"Here also live a race of people who 

 harmonize with nature except on some 

 the thorns are replaced by scales. 

 Nature has learned these people a 

 good many things, viz: That it is al- 

 ways best to put off until tomorrow 

 what you can as well do today and 

 never provide for the morrow. It will 

 take care of itself. If they haven't got 

 anything to eat some neighbor has and 

 it is all the same. Food is easily got- 

 ten. Fruit grows in abundance and 

 by way of variety, corn can be ham- 

 mered out into Tortillas (bread)' and 

 parched corn makes good coffee. Red 

 peppers grow in the yard and dried 

 meat lasts forever, so what do they 

 want.'' Clothes are hardly necessary 

 although some of them do wear a few. 

 Their houses are easily built out of 

 poles and mud with palm leaves roof. 

 With the aid of a little native music 



