4 Messrs. Sclater and Sal v in on the 



imported from the same country, has lately employed collect- 

 ors * in several parts of the republic, more particularly at Sa- 

 lama, Cajabon, and other places in the Vera Paz; and it is to his 

 exertions that science is indebted for the knowledge of the ap- 

 propriately named Cotinga amabilis, for additional specimens of 

 the wonderful Oreophasis derbianus, and many other ornitholo- 

 gical rarities. 



Salvin, from whose personal observation the greater part of 

 our notes are derived, reached Belize in the middle of December 

 1857. After a few days' stay, he proceeded down the coast to 

 Ysabal, on the inland lake called the Golfo Dulce, and thence by 

 easy stages up to the city of Guatemala, collecting by the way 

 when the opportunity presented itself. Duciias, about thirty 

 miles south of the capital, situated nearly between the two vol- 

 canos of Agua and Fuego, was his head-quarters during his six 

 months' residence in the country; but he also made two excur- 

 sions towards the Pacific coast, and one to the lake of Atitlan in 

 the Altos of Guatemala. Leaving the country towards the end 

 of June last, he returned home by the Pacific coasting steamer 

 and Panama. 



The part of Central America which we are now speaking of, 

 being in fact a continuation of Mexico, partakes of much of the 

 same general physical contour, and embraces three distinct 

 faunas. The first is that of the Atlantic coast-region, or tierra 

 caJiente, bordering the Caribbean Sea. This varies greatly in 

 breadth, extending nearly over the whole of the northern por- 

 tion of the peninsula of Yucatan, but in other places being 

 confined within narrow limits. It may be held to embrace all 

 the eastern slope of the watershed up to the height of 4000 feet. 

 Corresponding to this on the other side is the Pacific coast- 

 region, also a tien-a caliente, extending to about the same height 

 above the sea-level. It differs, however, in being of a uniform 

 narrow width of not more than 50 miles, and the descent to it 

 from the table-land is abrupt, and is well defined by the volca- 

 nic chain which borders the western limit of the table-land. In 

 these two coast-regions occur nearly all the tropical forms which 



* We regret to hear by late accounts of the death of one of the most 

 active of these — Rivera Paz, whose sevices it will be difficult to replace. 



