SPIDERS OF SOrrilKRX MEXICO 255 



to prevent their pl()win(>' lono; distances tlin)ii(>h the soft clay. xA.long 

 one part of the road a great number of trees had l)een uprooted l)y some 

 storm and hiy across our way. To ride around the free ends of these 

 trees necessitated in many cases the use of the machete and in c(Mise- 

 quence much delay. 



It is not surprising that, under such circimistances, we were able to 

 make no more than four kilometers an hour on the average. With our 

 baggage soaked because of repeated crossings of rivers and ourselves so 

 wet that we no longer minded the rain, we arrived on the evening of the 

 first day at ^Nlapastepec where we stopped over night. On the next day 

 we reached Margarita and stopped at a iVIexican ranch, sleeping in 

 hammocks in the same wet clothing of our journey. On the third day 

 we reached Pijijiapam and were glad to remain over night in the rail- 

 road station. We found that the bridge over the Pijijiapam River had 

 been swept away the twisted rails being washed ashore some hundred 

 yards farther down the stream. The following day we crossed this river, 

 then paid off our guides antl waited for a train that was hourly expected. 

 It did not come till late in the evening and proved to be a mere work 

 train, but we were gratefid to get under cover from tiie rain and spent 

 the night in a box car, reaching Tonala early in the morning. 



These days of ride through the jungle were, perhaps, the most inter- 

 esting part of the whole journey. Not only could we study many recent 

 foot-prints of wild animals, but also we were accompanied for a long 

 time by a crowd of monkeys. They showed no fear and chattered, 

 played and swung from tree to tree looking down on us with curiosity. 

 Red and green parrots were also present in great numbers, antl their 

 cry in the evening reminded me forcibly of the distant calling of the 

 European crows, wdien in large flocks they are looking for a night's 

 shelter. The insect life was abundant and apparently the same as at 

 Tonala and Zacualpa, but it was impossible to do any collecting under 

 the conditions. 



To my great disappointment my collection of spiders from Zacualpa 

 and Tapachula was considerably damaged (hu'ing this trip. At first I 

 tied the basket containing the jars around my neck and held it on the 

 saddle in front, but after fording the first river, I appreciated the fact that 

 in case the horse slipped, I should not be able to swim ashore with that 

 weight on my neck, so thereafter I fastened my l)asket to the pack horse. 

 The constant shaking resulted in rubbing many specimens to powder, 



