or observed in the Republic of Honduras, S^c. 15 



and a rugged wooded country on the other. There are also 

 swamps in the jungle in the rainy season. At the edge of the 

 town are numerous orange-gardens. The plain of Comayagua 

 is bounded by high mountains covered with trees. It was in 

 these mountains that Mr. Edwards saw the tail-feathers of the 

 Quesal [Pharomacrus paradiseus) . 



On the 1st of February we started for the Atlantic coast. 

 Instead of going by the most direct route, we decided to make 

 a detour by the Lake of Yojoa. hitherto unknown to Europeans, 

 and undescribed. Our first marcb was to Opoteca, where we 

 remained the whole of the following day. The country about 

 Opoteca is exceedingly mountainous, all up- and down-hill — so 

 much so, that I could do nothing in such very hot weather. 

 On the third day we rode to Siquatepeque. Our route lay over 

 the tops of some of the highest mountains in the neighbour- 

 hood, 5000 feet above the sea-level. The vegetation consisted 

 chiefly of long grass and pines. I saw nothing here but Blue 

 Birds {Sialio wilsoni) and Crows (Cort'Ms). Siquatepeque is situate 

 in a beautiful open plain eight or ten miles long, 3600 feet above 

 the sea-level, and suiTOunded by mountains. Here I shot several 

 fresh birds, and would willingly have remained some days, but 

 the morning following we proceeded on our journey to Taulevi. 

 The country passed through was principally undulating ground, 

 covered, not too thickl)-, with pine trees, and having a very 

 park-like appearance. Before reaching Taulevi we had to 

 descend, by a zigzag path, the face of a high and very steep hill. 

 Shortly after leaving Siquatepeque, I saw some Deer escape from 

 a large plantain-patch in a hollow. During the day I obtained 

 nine new species of birds. We remained a whole day at Taulevi. 

 It is picturesquely situated in a hollow in the mountains, closely 

 surrounded by dense vegetation, and is, I should think, an un- 

 healthy locality. Our delay there was in order to make neces- 

 sary arrangements for our journey the next day to the Lake of 

 Yojoa, the route to which lay through dense forest, and was 

 seldom travelled. An essential part of these aiTangements con- 

 sisted in sending forward men to clear a path through the forest, 

 and to engage boats for our passage down the lake. In the evening 

 we sent out some boys to catch an Armadillo [Dasypus), which 



