of an Orchid Hunter. 147 



wing, and, as the bird flits across the plain with a 

 springing motion, the alternate blue and scarlet make 

 a pretty effect. This I judged to be the Poecilothraupis 

 lunulata. 



The mist had scarcely risen from the top of the 

 mountains when we came in sight of the valley and 

 range of mountains on the other side, where I 

 expected to find Odontoglossum odoratnm, knowing 

 that this variety is found growing at a lower altitude 

 than the Odontoglossum crispum, although they are 

 both often found at a high altitude growing on the 

 same tree. By evening we had made the descent of 

 the tortuous path to the village of San Cayetano, most 

 of the journey being made in a blinding rain. This 

 village is situated on the very edge of the Odonto- 

 glossum forests. I expected to find someone here 

 who would help me to get plants in the woods; but the 

 people were too indolent for me to persuade them to 

 work for wages, so I rested here for the night, and 

 then kept on the journey further into the woods to a 

 place called El Ortiz. I was told that here I could 

 find people who would be willing to work in the 

 mountains. We had scarcely entered the forest on 

 this side of the mountain when I remarked a difference 

 from anything I had seen before. The trees here were 

 so grown together that they made a thick wood, while 

 every branch and trunk was laden with a heavy coat 



