430 Miscellaneous. 



Every one who has visited this country must agree with Humboldt, 

 that the region comprising the tierra templada and the eastern slope 

 of the mountains above, is " one of the most beautiful and picturesque 

 in the world." No other part of the world, perhaps, can present 

 scenery of such sublime and picturesque beauty. When travelling 

 over the rough and barren hills, strewn with volcanic rocks, the 

 scene is suddenly changed by coming upon the edge of a barranca 

 or ravine, its bottom lands several hundred feet below you, highly 

 cultivated in fields of sugar-cane, corn, &c., dotted with the straw- 

 thatched cottages of the Indians, and presenting a most perfect 

 panorama or picture of nature's own painting, inclosed, as it were, 

 in a frame of black and jagged rocks, which form its perpendicular 

 sides, without a vestige of vegetation growing upon them. Far off 

 below lies stretched out the tierra caliente, having the appearance 

 of an immense park, bounded on the horizon by the Gulf ; and yet, 

 elevated as your position seems to be, on turning to look in the op- 

 posite direction, Orizaba, with its silvery cap of eternal snow, and 

 the base and rocky peak of Perote, still stand above you eight or 

 nine thousand feet. 



In addition to the animals on the tierra caliente, I noticed the 

 raccoon, the opossum, the Bassaris astuta, or ring-tailed weasel, as it 

 is called by the Mexicans, and several species of deer. I noticed 

 also a porcupine, which struck me as different from the common 

 species. The puma and jaguar are also met with in the mountains. 



The mammalia of this part of Mexico seem to be identical with, 

 or neai'ly allied to, more northern species, while the birds for the 

 greater part are found also much farther south. Lizards are less 

 numerous, but snakes more so, than on the tierra caliente. The 

 plants I should think more characteristic than either mammalia or 

 birds, and present a rich field for investigation. 



The two species of Jalapa-root are collected in small quantities, 

 only on the sides of the mountains, by the Indians, the greater part 

 exported being brought from the north and west of the city of 

 Mexico. 



In the neighbourhood of Jalapa, and on the road passing over the 

 mountains, I noticed several beds and hills of sand, in some of which 

 are deposits of the sulphate of lime, finely crystallized in the form 

 of sand. I was told by the Mexicans that they had dug up here 

 young clams, perhaps Cyclas. I mention this fact in confirmation of 

 my opinion, that the plains of Anahuac above, or of Perote and Puebla, 

 as they may be called, have been drained by one of the many revo- 

 lutions (geological, not political) which this country has passed 

 through. 



The eastern part of the plains above, for the distance of twelve or 

 fifteen miles, is sandy ; beyond are salt-beds and soda. In many 

 localities, at the depth of ten or twelve feet, I saw fossil freshwater 

 shells of the genera Planorbis, Lymnea, Physa, and others, which it 

 is reasonable to suppose once lived at the bottom of lakes which 

 covered these plains, as well as that of the valley of Mexico. 



The volcanic mountains which form the boundaries to the plains 



