30 A YEAR OF COSTA RICAN NATURAL HISTORY 



this valley from that of Guarco in which Cartago lies; to the 

 south is the imposing ridge of Candelaria (Escazu), while to 

 the west a gap indicates the way to the Pacific. The earth- 

 quakes of April and May, 1910, rendered the Colegio build- 

 ing unsafe and instruction was transferred temporarily to 

 the one-storied Presidential residence on the north side of 

 the Avenida Central. 



On the outskirts of the southeastern quarter, facing each 

 other on opposite sides of a wide street, were the Liceo de 

 Costa Rica and the Escuela Normal. The Liceo was two- 

 storied with an oblong patio, where the ceremony of award- 

 ing certificates took place and behind was a separate gym- 

 nasium of ample dimensions. The Liceo and the Escuela 

 were of exactly the same size and shape externally, which 

 seemed a pity, and both were covered with cement or stucco 

 highly colored to represent stone, which spoilt the effect 

 greatly. The Liceo was the highest educational institution 

 for boys in the country and offered, in 1908, a five-year 

 course, a normal course of two years, a commercial course 

 of two years and a one-year technical course. Including 30 

 students in the "preparatorio," the total in attendance in 

 1908 was 241. The former University of San Tomas in San 

 Jose has been discontinued for many years. 



South of the Liceo and separated from it, in our time, by 

 several open blocks was the gaily-stuccoed abbatoir, and 

 near it the station of the Pacific Railroad. This was also 

 the southern terminus of the electric cars of the Calle Cen- 

 tral, their other terminus being the village of Guadalupe 

 north of San Jose. 



Herr Alfred Brade, a German naturalist and collector, had 

 a flower garden, with a few animals in captivity, which 

 formed one of the sights of San Jose at this time; these were 

 also in the southeastern quarter. Among the animals were 

 "tigres" of different kinds and some "pavones" {Crax pana- 



