42 The Naturalist in Nicaragua 
noons. I have heard many stories of the padres after 
service hurrying off to the cock-pit with a cock under each 
arm. Bets are made on every fight, and much money is lost 
and won over the sport. 
Like most of the Nicaraguan towns, Acoyapo appears to 
have been an Indian city before the Spanish conquest. The 
name is Indian, and in the plaza Senor Bermudez pointed 
out to me some flat bared rock surfaces, on which were 
engraved circles and various straight and curved characters, 
covering the whole face of the rock. Some rude portions 
of stone statues that have been found in the neighbourhood 
are also preserved in the town. The Spaniards called the 
town San Sebastian; but the more ancient name is likely to 
prevail, notwithstanding that in all official documents the 
Spanish one is used. Acoyapo is a grazing district, and 
there are some large cattle haciendas, especially towards 
the lake. The town suffers from fever owing to the neigh- 
bouring swamp. Much of the land around is very fertile; 
but little of it is cultivated, as the people are indolent, and 
content if they make a bare livelihood. We left Acoyapo 
about three o’clock: our road lay up the river, which we 
crossed three times. Excepting near the river, the country 
was very thinly timbered; and it was pleasant, after riding 
across the open plains, exposed to the hot rays of the sun, 
to reach the shady banks of the stream, by which grew many 
high thick-foliaged trees, with lianas hanging from them, 
and bromelias, orchids, ferns, and many other epiphytes 
perched on their branches. At these spots, too, were various 
beautiful birds, amongst which the Szsztote, a fine black and 
orange songster, and a trogon (Trogon melanocephalus, 
Gould), were the most conspicuous. 
We reached and crossed a high range, from the summit 
of which we had a splendid view over the plains and savan- 
nahs we had crossed, to the great lake, with its islands and 
peaked hills, and beyond the dark dim mountains of Costa 
Rica, amongst which dwell the Indians of the Rio Frio and 
other little-known tribes. Before us were spread out well- 
grassed savannahs, thinly timbered, excepting where dark 
winding lines of trees or light green thickets of bamboos 
marked the course of rivers or mountain brooks. Here and 
there were dotted thatched huts, in which dwelt the owners 
