TURRIALBA AND PERALTA 25 1 



zona auropalliata), known as the "loro, " Is light green with 

 a yellow spot at the back of the head and a pair of black 

 spots above the base of the bill. The primary wing feathers 

 are chiefly black but are largely concealed by the green 

 plumage when the wings are folded; there is some red on the 

 edge and bend of the wing. 



Just west of Turrialba the railroad passed through one of 

 these beautiful, green, soft-looking hillside pastures and then 

 bordered a thick forest. Along a brook where it left the 

 forest but still shaded by some trees, were a larger number 

 of a species of Heteragrion dragonfly than I had previously 

 met, although I had found it below Juan Vinas. It had a 

 brilliant patch of gold on the front of the head between the 

 eyes and a one-and-one-half inch long, slender, blood-red 

 abdomen; the colors of the rest of the body were more som- 

 ber, the wings transparent, and in the shadow it was the 

 golden patch and the line of red that were chiefly visible. 

 These colors are possessed only by the male, the female 

 being a sober brown. The species of Heteragrion, as far as 

 I know, are only met with in well-shaded places, never in 

 bright light, and by reason of this habit are often somewhat 

 difficult to see, especially the females. 



Leaving the stream we entered the forest and attempted 

 to pass through It up the hillside Into a pasture above, but 

 there was no path and the ascent was so steep and the vege- 

 tation so dense that after going a little way we gave up our 

 plan. Besides the deciduous (exogenous) trees there were 

 many palms and tree-ferns all bound together with vines 

 and lianas. There were numerous epiphytic ferns which 

 also had a vine-like habit and hung In festoons from the 

 branches of trees. Many trees, lianas and even some ferns 

 had their stems and branches armed with sharp and cruel 

 thorns so that In catching hold of the vegetation It was 

 necessary to look carefully to see what was safe to grasp. 



