i6 E. B. Williamson 



Traniea, and several other typical tropical swamp species of wide distribu- 

 tion. 



At six a. m., February 9, we took the train from Puerto Berrio to 

 Cisneros. For about twenty miles the track ran through forest and fields 

 and then began to climb into higher hills. Cisneros, the end of the railroad, 

 at an elevation of 1,060 metres, was surrounded by country almost stripped 

 of its forests, the remnants consisting of scattered clumps on the high hill 

 tops. The Nus was yellow and dirty, due to the activities of gold diggers. 

 The hotel at Cisneros was good but the devastation of the adjoining country 

 made it an unfavorable collecting point. Sofia, near kilometer post loi, 

 had a hotel, and was probably a much better collecting point than Cisneros. 



The valley of the Rio Santa Getrudis opposite Cisneros, across the Nus, 

 seemed to have more trees than usual in this region and we collected there 

 February 10. The Rio Santa Getrudis was a clear stream ten to thirty feet 

 wide, rapid throughout, and with many large waterfalls and rock masses. 

 Had time permitted, we probably should have found the many small tribu- 

 taries more productive than the main stream, but a little time spent on these 

 was not encouraging. Along the main stream were only small clumps of 

 forest, but the tree ferns, some thirty feet high, gave some hint of the glory 

 that had been. From its mouth in the Nus we followed the stream up 

 through the hills for several miles. Throughout this distance it was largely 

 exposed to the sun, and the abandoned hill sides were covered with rank im- 

 penetrable grass and dewberry briars. Apparently the agricultural method 

 in use consisted in clearing the forest, planting to crops, usually corn or 

 sugar cane, until the soil was exhausted, abandoning it, and making another 

 encroachment on the forest. The result was that the farmers lived far 

 away from town, up the valleys of the numerous streams. The paths from 

 the farms to town were conspicuous as yellow streaks on the devastated 

 hills. The days collecting netted us only four dragonfiies out of six seen, 

 an almost unbelievably poor day. We needed no further evidence, and 

 the next day, February 11, we took train back towards Puerto Berrio, leav- 

 ing it at Cristalina, about twenty-eight kilometers above Puerto Berrio. 

 vSeveral good points were accessible along the railroad between Puerto Berrio 

 and Cisneros. There was a good hotel at Puerto Berrio, and the train, leav- 

 ing there early in the morning and returning in the evening, would have 

 made it possible to collect over a wide variety of country with Puetro Berrio 

 as headc^uarters. Cristalina was a little native village with no posada 

 (inn), but we were able to rent a room in a hut from one family and to 

 obtain board with another family, that of Lino Zapata, an intelligent native 

 who acted as our mozo during our stay at Cristalina. 



The elevation of Cristalina is about 320 metres. It lay in a densely 

 wooded country abounding in beautiful small streams. Conditions were 

 humid, vegetation was rank and small tree ferns were noted. A small 

 stream, the Quebrada Cristalina, flowed directly through Cristalina. The 

 water of this stream was brought from the hills to the village and railroad 

 through an iron pipe. During our first day at Cristalina, February 12, we 

 followed this pipe back to the intake. Between the intake and the town the 



