Miscellaneous. 429 
temperature at the Puenta Nacional, in the months of September, 
October and November, averaged 80° at 3 p.m. with little variation, 
the atmosphere was so loaded with moisture that it was impossible 
to keep our fighting-tools free from rust for twenty-four hours at a 
time, protect them as we might. 
The animals met with at the Puenta Nacional and on the tierra 
caliente, are for the greater part common to Texas and the north; 
the common deer is abundant, though of small size ; the red fox, the 
prairie wolf, and the spotted tiger-cat are frequently met with, and 
the Puma also, though more frequently in the mountains above. Rep- 
tiles are exceedingly numerous, though of few species. The royal 
iguano, as it is called, is found in the cliffs bordering the river An- 
tigua, and grows to a very large size; one killed by a Mexican 
measuring nine feet in length. The flesh of this species, as well as 
that of others, is considered quite a delicacy by the inhabitants. I 
observed a curious habit of a species of lizard, which has not been 
noticed before to my knowledge ; it is that of passing over the water 
in an erect position, resting on its hinder parts, and propelling itself 
by its hind-feet, its tail lying horizontally on the water, acting as a 
rudder. In the San Juan and Antigua rivers I noticed an alligator 
which appeared to be different from our common species ; the young, 
a specimen of which I caught, is entirely black, without the usual 
yellow markings on its back. 
_ Land and freshwater shells are scarce, the beds of the streams 
being very stony; nearer the coast, however, they may perhaps be 
more abundant. After passing the tierra caliente, the ascent in- 
creases over the tierra templada, as above stated, to the foot of the 
mountains. The whole of the surface of this part of the country is 
much broken by low ranges of volcanic hills and deep ravines or 
barrancas, as they are called, of 200 to 500 feet in depth, 
which run commonly at right angles from the mountain-chain 
above. The city of Jalapa derives its name frora that of an ancient 
Indian village a few leagues distant, and signifies ‘‘ built among 
barrancas.”’ 
Most of the hills are of volcanic formation, though they are not all 
so, as I have seen stated. ‘The limestone shows itself in the valleys 
at the foot of the mountains, and in the barrancas, when of sufficient 
width : it is, of course, very much altered from its connexion with 
the volcanic rock, being uncrystallized and whitened: it is not 
fossiliferous, and, as far as I noticed, unstratified. At Quarterpec, 
a few leagues south of Jalapa, and at other places, it is burnt by the 
Indians, and the lime is sold in the neighbouring towns and cities. 
The soil of the valleys is rich,and under cultivation produces during 
the whole year, rice, coffee, tobacco, sugar-cane, corn and other ve- 
getable productions, fruit, &c. of both tropical and temperate climes, 
in great abundance. The average of temperature I should place lower 
than Humboldt. During the months of January and February there 
were several nights of severe frosts in the neighbourhood of Jalapa 
and below, which stripped the trees on the hills of their foliage, but 
I was told it was of very unusual occurrence. 
