20 Mr. G. C. Taylor on Birds collected 



ruary. As it was Colonel Stanton's intention to remain on the 

 Atlantic coast only a few days, and to return to La Union by the 

 most direct route and with few stoppages, I did not consider 

 that it was worth my while to go twice over the same ground, 

 especially as in such rapid travelling I could do but little in 

 bird-collecting. Accordingly as soon as I arrived in Omoa I 

 engaged a schooner, and sailed the same night for Belize, to be 

 in time for the monthly departure of the mail steamer to Jamaica. 



I should much have liked to remain some time longer 

 in Honduras, and especially to have gone to Porto Caballos, 

 the proposed Atlantic terminus of the Interoceanic line, where 

 Waders and Water-birds w^ere said to be plentiful ; but a month 

 would have been too long for me to remain on the Atlantic 

 coast after my friends had left; and to return to the Pacific 

 was out of the question. So I was forced to depart at once, 

 and leave much undone, to my great regret. The passage to 

 Belize occupied three days, as the winds were light and con- 

 trary. I saw no birds on the voyage, except a few Pelicans and 

 Boobies. 



During my stay in Honduras I only met with two Snakes : 

 one was near Omoa. Mr. Edwards pointed it out, slowly wind- 

 ing up a bank close to the road ; he said it was a Corral Snake 

 and poisonous. It was small, and, as far as I could see through 

 the thick vegetation, barred with yellow and black. The other 

 was near the lagoon in Tigre Island ; it darted into the water 

 from under a decayed tree on which I stepped. Lizards and 

 Iguanas were common, especially on the Pacific slope. The 

 latter were often of large size j they would run up the trees like 

 cats, and sit on the branches watching us. They are said to be 

 good eating ; but of course a good cook is indispensable, and 

 ours was all but useless. 



Monkeys I believe to be plentiful ; but, as I have already 

 mentioned, I only observed them once. 



Jaguars {Felis onca) and Peccaries {Dicotijles) are common 

 throughout the country ; but 1 did not see any. One day, while 

 riding through one of the palm forests on the Atlantic slope, 

 a good-sized Tiger Cat crossed the path some distance ahead 

 of my mule. I heard talk of Tapirs and Pumas. In such a 



