112 A NATURALIST IN MEXICO. 



uated in the midst of a pine forest, overlooking a deep ra- 

 vine. Here we witnessed what very few tourists have the 

 good fortune to see — the native in his primative home, sur- 

 rounded by his family. As we entered the hut, we beheld 

 an interesting scene. In the center of the hut a fire was 

 burning, and supported upon four stones was a large 

 earthern dish, upon which one of the native women was 

 frying tortillas. Another woman near by was busily en- 

 gaged in grinding corn. Opposite her sat a woman nursing 

 a small child. In a corner was a goat, dog, and several 

 chickens. Several men and boys were standing near, all 

 busily engaged in watching the woman frying the tortillas. 



One room serves the native for every purpose, and as 

 witnessed here, is often shared by pigs and poultry. The 

 natives do not eat meat half a dozen times a year. A few 

 wild fruits are added to their humble fare of tortillas, and 

 that suffices. A mat serves for a bed and a blanket for an 

 overcoat, and the native seems very content. They 

 supply the towns with poultry, charcoal, nuts, baskets, 

 pottery, and a few vegetables; often walking twenty-five or 

 thiity miles over hills and plains with a load of over a 

 hundred pounds on their backs, in order to reach a market 

 where a dollar, or at most two, is received for their two or 

 three days' journey. Most of the money made by the 

 natives is paid to the Catholic priests for pseudo-indulgen- 

 ces. On the following day we returned to the City of 

 Mexico. 



The avifauna of Toluca was identical with that of 

 Popocatepetl. Warblers, robms, bluebirds, hawks, creep- 

 ers, and wrens predominated. Insects were also numerous, 

 but mollusks scarce. 



On the 25th of April we again left the City of Mexico 

 for Amecameca, this time to ascend, and to take barometric 



