A Botanical Expedition to Nicaragua. 361 



doubt as the dry season advances many changes take place. 

 Still it is said that at no time does it become as dry in this 

 vicinity as it does in the western or interior portions of the 

 country, and that the forests do not lose at any time much of 

 the character described above. 



The period spent at Castillo proved good for most PJianc- 

 rogamia^ the Ferns, ]Mosset, Polyporece, and Pyrenomycetes^ 

 too early evidently for Orchids and Slime-moulds, and prob- 

 ably too late for Agarics and other Fungi. The absence of 

 leaf-parasites was again noticeable. 



Alethod of Work and Results. 



Essentially the same method of collecting, studying, mark- 

 ing, and packing plants that was emploved on Ometepe was 

 followed at Castillo, but to facilitate work a division of labor 

 was made, Mr, Smith collecting and studying Fungi, while the 

 writer gave his attention to the Pkanerogatnia, Ferns, Moss- 

 es, and Slime-moulds. Excursions were made on foot and by 

 canoe, these being the only possible modes of travel since 

 there are no roads in the vicinity of Castillo, and hence 

 horses cannot be used. In the work of collecting, preparing 

 material, etc., a native hunter, who was regularly employed by 

 the party as a guide and factotum, proved of much assistance. 



The abundance and variety of the local flora is so great 

 that no difficulty was experienced in collecting plenty of ma- 

 terial; in fact it was impossible to properly care for all that 

 was obtained, partly because of its great abundance, and also 

 because of the ravages of ants and other insects, but principally 

 because of the prevalence of mould. Mould was found every- 

 where. Scarcely an object was free from it, the moist atmos- 

 phere rendering almost any surface a fit nursery for its devel- 

 opment, but when this natural humidity was reinforced by the 

 moisture belonging to a plant the result was truly astonishing. 

 Plants which were put into press were covered with the deli- 

 cate hyphce and tiny sporangia in a few hours; the driers 

 were soon so laden with spores that they could not be used 



