56 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



February, a place is selected in the woods, from which the 

 trees are cut down and burned. In May or June the corn is 

 planted. This is done by making little holes in the ground 

 with a pointed stick, putting in a few grains of corn and 

 covering them over. Once in the ground, it is left to take 

 care of itself The corn has a fair start with the weeds, and 

 thus keep pace together. The hoe and plough are here un- 

 known; indeed, the plough could be of but little use here on 

 account of the stony nature of the ground; the machete, a 

 long, hatchet-like knife, is the only instrument employed. 



While in Merida w^e called upon the American Consul, 

 Mr. Thompson, who is a most enthusiastic archaeologist. 

 He had himself discovered upwards of forty ruined cities, 

 before unknown. He had accumulated quite a collection of 

 hatchets, vases, birds, and other relics found about the ruins. 

 What was of the greatest interest to me was his superb col- 

 lection of photographs, numbering many hundred, of all the 

 large ruins.* From him we learned that during the wet 

 season, animal life is very abundant, and many species of 

 birds are found which do not live here in the dry season. 



At three o'clock in the afternoon we left Merida for 

 Progreso, there to spend a few days before leaving the 

 country for Veracruz. Col. Glenn and his wife left us at 

 Merida, to return to the construction camp. During the 

 evening, we all enjoyed a much needed bath in the waters of 

 the Gulf. 



The next four days we spent in collecting, and as bird- 

 life was very abundant, we added considerably to our already 

 full collections. Back of the town was a broad lagoon in- 

 habited by many species of aquatic birds. Flocks of gulls 

 were seen flying overhead, uttering their well-known cry, and 

 herons of several species wading about the swampy portion. 

 The land bordering the Gulf was sandy and covered with a 



*NoTE.— The ruins of Yucatan in front of the Anthropologfical Building of 

 the World's Columbian Exposition, -were the work of this gentleman. 



