CITY OF VERACRUZ. 141 



neglected city of the dead with beautiful and fragrant 

 flowers. 



The city houses are built of coral limestone, stuccoed. 

 The corals are identical with species now found living in 

 the harbor. The interior arrangements are like those else- 

 where described. The narrow streets are kept scrupulously 

 clean, are paved with cobble-stones, and have a gutter 

 running down the middle. The garbage wagons make 

 their rounds twice daily, gathering up all the refuse mat- 

 ter. There is another keen-eyed scavenger, however, which 

 is much more effectual and thorough than these garbage 

 gatherers; these are the dark-plumed buzzards, or zopilo- 

 tes {^Catharista atra/a), who are always on the alert to pick 

 up and devour refuse matter of any sort found in the 

 streets or about the houses. They even fight among 

 themselves for coveted pieces of garbage on top of the 

 wagons, and frequently the wagon will be half emptied 



before it reaches the dumping place. 

 They are wisely protected by law, 

 and a fine imposed for killing them. 

 Clouds of these birds may be seen 

 roosting upon the eaves of the houses, 

 the church belfries, and all exposed 

 balconies. As the sun sets, the 

 vultures fiock to the domes of the 

 churches, until the latter are literally 

 zopiLOTE. black with them. There is one 



mystery in regard to these birds which naturalists are 

 trying to solve, namely, their breeding place. No one 

 knows where they go to build their nests and rear their 



young. 



Although Veracruz has suffered more than almost 

 any other capital from bombardments, ravages of bucca- 

 neers, hurricanes, fevers, and changes of rulers, yet it is 



