4S8 A YEAR OF COSTA RICAN NATURAL HISTORY 



time along its stony beaches. On these different occasions 

 I saw fairly large squirrels, with reddish bodies and long 

 thick gray tails, on the trees near the river; they were per- 

 haps Sciurus adolphei dorsalis. 



When we arose on January 25 it felt decidedly cold, yet 

 the school thermometer measured 19° C. ( =66.2° F.) at 7 

 A. M., showing how we had become acclimated to this warm 

 country. The same thermometer registered 31° C. ( =87.8° 

 F.) at 4 P. M., both measurements being in the shade. The 

 shade temperature, therefore, was not excessive, but the 

 usually slight daily range made a morning temperature of 

 19° C. seem cold. 



The Comision Calificadora, having finished its work here, 

 started for San Jose on the morning of January 25, but 

 Professor Tristan and I remained for further collecting. 

 The members of the Commission were very agreeable, and 

 traveling with them added much to the pleasure of the 

 journey as well as saving us the trouble of arranging for 

 transportation and lodging, and assuring us better quarters 

 than we otherwise might have enjoyed. 



The Commission having departed we went north a kilo- 

 meter or two from the town to the house of one Rollo Jaen, 

 whom Professor Tristan knew, where we took breakfast. 

 The walls of this house were one board thick, the tile roof 

 supported by upright beams at the corners and two in the 

 principal room under the ridge pole. As usual the windows 

 were without sashes but furnished with wooden shutters. 

 The earthen floor was now hard and dry, but in answer to 

 my question they told me it grew quite damp in the rainy 

 season. The principal room contained two or three bed- 

 steads, as many chairs, a hammock, a table, some heaps of 

 unhusked maize and other products, tools, ox-harness, 

 bridles and saddles. A small part of the wall was covered 

 with pages — chiefly pictures and advertisements — from 



