3930 The Zoologist — April, 1874. 



reveals truth, and truth abides for ever, unconscious of all our 

 arguments or all our objections. 



One of the principal charms of Mr. Belt's volume is its variety : 

 whether en route or stationary and comparatively quiescent, he 

 always finds something to admire, and to record and utilize for our 

 instruction. In the steep mountain ranges of San Rafael, composed 

 of "moraine-like heaps of clay," where "pines and oaks covered the 

 heights," he notes that the trees "were shrouded with long fringes 

 and festoons of the moss-like Tillandsia and epiphytic orchids j" 

 and the spikes of one species, more luxuriant than the rest, and 

 covered with mottled yellow flowers, hung down six feet in length. 

 Five miles further on Mi-. Belt turned in for the night, and found 

 that even this orchid-bearing region was not without its little dis- 

 agreeables, small drawbacks to this garden of Eden, just sufficient 

 to give zest and enjoyment to the journey. Mr. Belt lodged in a 

 hut, " the floor of which was the natural earth ;" " there was not a 

 bit of furniture, except some rough sleeping-places made of hides 

 stretched on poles;" "there was not a stool or even a log to sit 

 down upon;" "continual rain was falling, and a bleak wind was 

 whistling through the pine tops ; pigs, dogs and fowls were alwaj's 

 in the way ; a few poles had been placed across the doorway in a 

 futile attempt to close it against the live stock," but some of the 

 smaller pigs got through, and were routing and grunting amongst 

 liis luggage all the night long. 



One of the great merits of Mr. Belt's book is that he seems to be 

 guided by a simple and sincere love of truth ; he extenuates 

 nothing nor sets down aught in malice ; his very theories seem 

 portion of his facts, so naturally do they dovetail with his narrative. 

 1 must now accompany our traveller up the valley through which 

 runs the river that forms the boundary between Honduras and 

 Nicaragua; the road lay close to the river, which had to be crossed 

 several times. The morning was lovely after a thunder-storm of 

 the previous night, and the ride most enjoyable. 



" We did not see many birds, a pretty hawk that I shot being the most 

 noticeable. Hawks of various kinds are very abundant in the tropics, and 

 if the small birds had to personify death, they would certainly represent him 

 as a hawk, for this is the form in which he must generally appear to them. 

 Towards evening the hawk glides noiselessly along and alights on a bough 

 near, where he hears the small birds twittering amongst the bushes. Perhaps 

 they see him and are quiet for a httle, but he sits motionless as the sphinx. 



