58 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



shells, while in others it was nearly clean, being one vast 

 extent of smooth, glistening sand. I enumerated about 

 fifty species, mostly confined to the class Gastropoda. The 

 Pelecypods were few in species, but numerous in individuals, 

 more so in fact than the Gastropods. Of the predominat- 

 ing genera I noted the following: Fulgur^ Crepidula, 

 Columbella, Fascioiaria, Strombus, Olivella, Venus, Area, 

 Pinna, and Ostrea. Ve?ius eaneellata was very common 

 and of extreme interest, as it is found fossil throughout the 

 interior. The little Olivella niutica was as common as on 

 the first day we hunted for it, four weeks ago. By the side 

 of an old, wrecked hull of a schooner, I found a heap of 

 shells in which I reaped my greatest harvest. Inside the 

 old schooner I found a colony of Melampas i^M. eoffeus), 

 from which I collected a dozen or more specimens. 



This abundance of material indicated a rich zoological 

 province off the Yucatan banks, and this indication has been 

 proven correct by the dredgings of the United States Fish, 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey Steamer "Blake" in the last 

 fifteen years. 



On the afternoon of the 22d, we left Progreso and em- 

 barked on the City of Alexandria, which was to sail next 

 day for Veracruz. A word in relation to the derivation of 

 the word Yucatan, before we leave the country. It is sup- 

 posed by some to have been derived from the plant known 

 as Yuea, and thale, the heap of earth in which this plant 

 grows; the most general belief is that it is derived from cer- 

 tain Words spoken by the natives in answer to the question: 

 "What is the name of this country?" and the answer, 'T 

 do not understand your words," which expression, in the 

 language of the natives, has some resemblance to the pro- 

 nounciation of the word Yucatan. The natives have never 

 recognized the name, however, and to this da}^, among 

 themselves, they speak of their country only under the an- 



