100 Notices, Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, t^c. 



Ducks. Of Humming-birds I find 12 species here, but none, I 

 fear, new. I cannot, however, complain of the ornithological 

 productions of Duenas, for I seldom go out with my gun without 

 bringing back some addition to my collection. You would be 

 astonished at the great variety of country concentrated within a 

 narrow compass. The consequence of this is a very local distri- 

 bution of species, and at the same time a great variety. Birds 

 seem to assemble in the valleys and plains ; and little is to be 

 found either in the more dense forest or on the steep hill-sides. 

 The Volcan de Fuego is one of my favourite resorts. Scarcely 

 a week passes that I do not enjoy a ramble in its forests. The 

 village of Duenas is situated on the north side of a plain, which 

 skirts the volcano on its eastern side. From it the volcano 

 rises to a height of 10,000 feet, and to between 14,000 and 

 15,000 feet above the sea-level, the summit of it being divided 

 into three peaks, from the most southern of which issues a con- 

 stant column of smoke, which, though small, is always visible. 

 Opposite to it is the Volcan de Agua, a very respectable hill with 

 a single peak, which attains to nearly the same altitude as the 

 Volcan de Fuego. 



" I am adding greatly to my knowledge of the distribution of 

 the birds of this country; and my theories as regards the inhabit- 

 ants of the hot and cold regions frequently receive severe blows ; 

 in course of time I hope they will be replaced by others based on 

 a surer footing. I find a Humming-bird common atYzabal and 

 Duenas [probably Amazilia arsinoe is referred to (Ed.)] ; another 

 is common at Escuintla, on the Pacific coast and near the city 

 of Guatemala. At the same time it appears that Pyranga ery~ 

 thromelmna, Chiroxiphia linearis, and Amazilia corallirostris are 

 all Pacific-coast species, and that none of them have as yet been 

 met with in the Atlantic coast-region. Cotinga amabilis is, I 

 strongly suspect, a bird of the high region. Momotus lessoni 

 certainly is so, as also Icterus giraudi. So, you see, there is 

 plenty to be done in the way of details, all of which require 

 careful investigation." 



" Duenas, October 25th. — Tomorrow I start for San Gero- 

 nimo, Salaraa, and Cohan. I have long had this expedition in my 

 mind ; for I am particularly anxious to see and find out where 



