54 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



During our two days sojourn in Ticul, we added 

 largely to our collections. Here I was, unfortunately, laid 

 up with fever and not able to do much collecting. While 

 preparing insects or skinning birds in the house, the window 

 which opened into the courtyard was generally filled with 

 men and boys, who would wait for hours, watching our 

 operations with the most untiring curiosity. They would 

 whisper among themselves, and as we dexterously removed 

 a skin, they would give exclamations of wonder. And then 

 they would guess as to what we were going to do with them; 

 some thought they were to show, and others that we used 

 them as medicine. 



Our stay in Ticul was marred by my sickness, having 

 been seized the second day with an attack of dysentery, 

 which confined me to my hammock for some time. The 

 balance of the party, however, did good work, and added 

 largely to our collections. During my indisposition I took 

 my meals, when strong enough, in a cai6 near the plaza. 

 Nothing but Spanish was spoken, of course, and at every 

 meal the following dialogue took place. It is a fair sample 

 of the restaurant conversation between native and foreigner: 

 Ti'^ne Vd. pan? Have you bread. 



Si, Se?tor. Yes, sir. 



Y hiievos fretos? And fried eggs? 

 Siy Se?ior. Yes, sir. 



Y cafe? And coffee? 

 Si, Sen or. Yes, sir. 



Y came frio? And cold meat? 



Si, Scnor. Yes, sir. 



Traigarne Vd. todo. Bring me all. 



Si, Senor. Yes, sir. 



Our explorations in this direction were productive of 

 good results, so far as the avifauna was concerned. The 

 Mexican Ground Dove was very common about the 



