126 A YEAR OF COSTA RICAN NATURAL HISTORY 



photographed a leaf and flower stalk In the crater, as they 

 were much too big to carry down to Cartago. 



There were several kinds of birds flying in and around the 

 crater. Insects were present, in small numbers; we saw a 

 green lace-wing fly, a few small Diptera, one large fly, a 

 small fly or two and one or two specimens of a small species 

 of may-fly. In the mists of the crater on July 15, P. saw a 

 few moths of fair size but was unable to catch one, for they 

 were speedily swept out of sight by the wind. Their wings 

 seemed to be of a dark color with a pale patch on the middle 

 of the front pair. 



The stratus clouds that promised so badly were unfor- 

 tunately true to their promise. Shortly after nine o'clock 

 the crater began to fill with mist which blew in from the 

 east. It lifted three or four times, so that we were able to 

 secure some photographs in spite of the moisture on the 

 lens, but each time returned as a denser cloud, cutting off 

 the view of the craters completely and rendering any cir- 

 cuit of them quite useless. We knew by this time that after 

 the summit was once thoroughly cloud-capped it was al- 

 most certain to remain so for the rest of that day, and so 

 with great reluctance, we started on the return journey 

 about eleven. Before we were halfway across the cinders 

 actual rain commenced and was soon very heavy, continu- 

 ing so until we were far below the forest. The clouds were 

 low, and the dead trees and gray cinders looked pale and 

 misty but we had no difficulty in retracing our path, and ab- 

 sence of wind made the low temperatures not uncomfort- 

 able. If the forest had looked unreal in the bright sunlight 

 it was positively unearthly in the gray clouds, the lichen- 

 covered trunks standing up like the ghosts of trees. The 

 rain made the trails very slippery, in places really danger- 

 ous, and all of us — horses and riders — were thankful when 

 we passed into the clearer, wider high road. 



