346 Natural History Bulletin. 



interior than it does on the eastern coast, it was decided to 

 push on to the island of Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua, the 

 most distant point of the proposed route. 



This journey was accomplished by steamer on the San Juan 

 River from Greytown to Ft. San Carlos, and by the lake 

 steamer "Victoria" to Ometdpe. 



As the "Victoria" was being repaired, a delay was occa- 

 sioned at Ft. San Carlos from the 31st of December to the 

 5th of January. The time so spent was utilized in making 

 observations on the topography of the vicinity, and on the 

 customs of the people, and in collecting Phanerogams and 

 Fungi, the latter being found principally on the wood w^hich 

 was stored for fuel on board the steamer. 



Ometepe. 



The village of Moyogalpa, on the northwestern shore of 

 Ometepe, was reached in the evening of January 5th, 1893, 

 and active preparations for work were at once made. 



Ometepe is a volcanic island about twenty miles long, lying 

 near the west coast of Lake Nicaragua. Its general form is 

 that of a figure 8, each loop consisting of a volcano surround- 

 ed by a plain of varying width. The explorations were all 

 made on the northern portion of the island which is occupied 

 by the volcano Ometepe, and were limited to its western half. 



Surface Features. 



On the north the volcano slopes abruptly to the lake, but on 

 the west and north-west are broader areas of comparatively 

 low lands which are covered with dense forests interspersed 

 with numerous plantations. To the north of Moyogalpa the 

 coast is swampy. 



The broad lower lands rise gradually to the foot of the vol- 

 cano and are cut by occasional deep gullies in which are 

 found numerous ferns, Gymnogramtne calomelanos^ Kaulf. be- 

 ing the most common, in some places also covering the other- 

 wise almost bare surface of the volcanic ridges. 



