NO. 2 SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I924 6/ 



subject to cold winds which make travelling uncomfortable. In Peru 

 the treeless plateaus are called punas. Many mountain ranges rise 

 above the plateau and snow-capped peaks are numerous. The best 

 known peaks in Ecuador are Chimborazo and Cotopaxi, more than 

 20,000 feet in altitude. The height and massiveness of the mountain 

 system in central Peru is indicated by the altitude of the pass on 

 the railroad from Lima to Oroya in the central plateau mentioned 

 above. 



In Peru and Bolivia there is little in the way of crop production 

 on the puna, but where there is sufBcient rainfall the stock-raising 

 industry flourishes. The grazing on the pima of Peru is in the main 

 excellent and large numbers of sheep are raised. In the valleys falling 

 from the plateau agriculture at once begins and crops of beans (habas, 

 the broad bean of Europe) and barley are first seen ; somewhat lower 

 are found alfalfa, corn, potatoes, and wheat. 



The third primary region is the montana, a name applied to the wet 

 forested slopes of the Andes on the east. In Ecuador the slope is 

 abrupt on the eastern chain of the Cordillera and soon passes into 

 the Oriente or great rain forest of the Amazon valley. In a general 

 way this montana region extends through eastern Peru to the Yungas 

 of Bolivia. Beyond that it merges into the Chaco of eastern Bolivia, 

 which is a drier region of scant forest and grassy plains. 



The botanical results of the trip have been very satisfactory. A 

 large collection of grasses was made, which will form the basis of an 

 account of the grass flora of the three countries visited. Already 

 several new species have been described from the general collections 

 made in Ecuador. 



ARCHEOLOGICAL EXPEDITION TO CHINA 



During the winter of 1923-1924, the Expedition sent to China under 

 the joint auspices of the Freer Gallery of Art and the Museiun of 

 Fine Arts, Boston, carried on successful investigations at I Chou, in 

 the province of Chihli, and at several localities in the province of 

 Shensi. I Chou is built on the site of an ancient city, perhaps that 

 of Yen Ching, and while there Mr. Carl Whiting Bishop, in charge 

 of the expedition, traced portions of old earthen walls of considerable 

 size, lying to the southwest of the present city. To the east of I Chou, 

 groups of many large, uncovered mounds rise from the fiat plains ; 

 these were inspected as were also some of the many potsherds and 

 fragments of tile and pottery found on the surfaces of the mounds 

 themselves. Later, Mr. Bishop made a survey of the locality by 



