SPECIES OF BIRDS. 81 



height to be 17,664 feet. Dr. Kaska, not long since, de- 

 termined, by a mercurial thermometer, the height to be 

 18,045 feet. Should our deductions prove correct, then 

 Orizaba, and not Popocatepetl, must take the first place 

 among the mountains of North America. The second night 

 was -passed like the first, in hugging the fire. Early on the 

 following morning we returned to San Andres, reaching 

 there late in the afternoon. The only life observed on the 

 peak was a Sparrow Hawk, a raven, and a few small lizards. 

 Before leaving San Andres, a word concerning its avi- 

 fauna may not be out of place. As before said, the differ- 

 ence between the birds of San Andres and those of Orizaba, 

 4,000 feet below, was marked. Only three species were 

 common to both localities. Nearly all species belonged to 

 northern genera. In the town, the only birds observed 

 were the House Finch, Blue Grosbeak, and Barn Swallow. 

 In the sandy stretch of country, between San Andres and 

 the pine woods, on the slopes of Orizaba, the most charac- 

 teristic species were sparrows, thrushes, the Black-eared 

 Bush Tit, Brown and Mexican Towhee. In the pine forest 

 the American Robin, Bluebird, Mexican Chickadee, Sumi- 

 chrast's Jay, and Audubon's Warbler, were abundant. A 

 peculiar fact observed v/as that none of the characteristic 

 birds ot the open country were found on the wooded part 

 of the mountain. Snowbirds and Sumichrast's Jay, how- 

 ever, were found on the plain some distance from the edge 

 of the forest. Of the other branches — mollusks, insects, 

 etc. — we saw nothing, save a few lizards. The following 

 day we left San Andres for the City of Mexico, arriving at 

 the latter place at midnight. We put up at the Hotel 

 Humboldt, situated on the Calle de Jesus, where we 

 secured very excellent accommodations. 



