8 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



pose we could not guess, unless it be for the more cleanly 

 fording of the brooklets and mudlets that occur. The 

 women wear a skirt of white, and a loose white waist sep- 

 arate from the skirt, and hanging sometimes near to the 

 bottom of the under garment. This over-skirt, or robe, is 

 ornamented with fringe and borders worked in blue. The 

 head-dress is a shawl, or mantle, of light cotton gauze, of 

 blue or purple, thrown gracefully over the head and 

 shoulders. 



Before leaving Progreso for Merida we engaged the 

 services of a Spaniard, Senor Lopez by name, who spoke 

 English, Spanish, and Maya (the native tongue), to act 

 as our interpreter during our stay in Yucatan. He proved a 

 most valuable adjunct to our party. A little before 5 o'clock 

 p. M. we boarded the train for Merida. Before leaving the 

 depot we were accosted by a gentleman, who introduced 

 himself as Colonel Glenn, and who extended to us an invita- 

 tion to visit his railroad construction camp, situated near 

 the town of Tekanto. We accepted his kind mvitation, and 

 promised soon to see him and his camp. At 5 o'clock sharp 

 the train pulled out from Progreso, and we were soon steam- 

 ing rapidly toward the capital of Yucatan. 



The character of the country for some little distance 

 outside of Progreso was decidedly swampy. A short dis- 

 tance beyond the town we crossed a broad lagoon, in which 

 was said to abound man}' species of wild fowl. As our 

 train sped along, numbers of birds rose upon either side, 

 and with discordant cries flew deeper into the swamp. I 

 noticed particularly several large herons, which I judged 

 were the common Great Blue Heron of our southern 

 states. Several egrets, and numerous members of the 

 raptoral, or hawk, order of birds were seen. The land soon 

 changed from swampy to very dry, and continued thus the 

 remainder of the journey. In many places whole acres 



