NO. 5 MAMMALS OF PANAMA — GOLDMAN 7 



also small islands and what appeared to be the western shore of the 

 Gulf of San Bias. The Pacific coast was much more clearly visible, 

 the shore line standing out sharply from near the mouth of the 

 Bayano River as far west as Panama. The dry season was at its 

 height and the coastal plains or " sabanas " resembled a vast, irregu- 

 lar checker-board, the brown areas of grass-land being separated by 

 narrow, parallel belts of green forest marking the courses of streams. 

 The checker-board, or patched appearance, was heightened by numer- 

 ous lines of fire, advancing over the savannas and leaving blackened 

 areas in their wake. 



Exploration, mainly of the upper slopes of Cerro Azul, was con- 

 tinued for several days and on March 27 we returned to Chepo, 

 arriving opportunely to find a launch on which we were able to 

 engage passage to Panama on the following day. 



Field work in the Canal Zone was resumed at various points and 

 pushed steadily until May 22, when transportation on a Government 

 tug was secured to Porto Bello. This town is situated on a small bay 

 about 25 miles northeast of Colon. At the Government rock quarry, 

 the source of the supply of much material used in Canal construction, 

 quarters for a large force of men were maintained, and ample 

 facilities afiforded for our investigations in the immediate vicinity. 

 Mountains with peaks, including the Cerro Brujo, rise rather steeply 

 to over 3,000 feet, and closely parallel the coast line southward and 

 westward ; a lower spur to the north terminating in the rock quarry, 

 encircles the watersheds of the Rio Cascajal, Rio More and other 

 short streams converging to the head of the bay. The general shore 

 line is rugged, but mangrove lagoons and swamps occur near the 

 m.outh and along the lower course of the Rio Cascajal. The period 

 from June 3 to June 9 was devoted to exploration of the Cascajal 

 River and slopes of Cerro Brujo. Camp equipment was carried by 

 Jamaica negroes who were unaccustomed to such work and proved 

 to be inefficient woodsmen. 



The rainy season had begun and the first day out from Porto Bello 

 slow progress was made in traversing swampy country along the 

 lower course of the Cascajal River. Certain boggy areas were 

 crossed by stepping from one small tussock of grass to another. 

 These tussocks, when not too widely spaced, enabled us to pass com- 

 fortably over a number of dangerous places, but in spite of great 

 care several members of the party slipped ofif and, hampered by 

 heavy loads, required prompt assistance in extricating themselves 

 from ooze of unknown depth into which they were rapidly sinking. 



