1864.] | ON A COLLECTION OF BIRDS FROM-PANAMA. 343 
ing country of Costa Rica to be able to ascertain with greater accu- 
racy the limits of the somewhat peculiar fauna which is to be found 
in Veragua. Our knowledge, as far as it goes at present, indicates 
that this section of the isthmus is more intimately allied ornitho- 
logically to the lowlands of the northern portion of New Granada and 
Western Ecuador than to the country immediately to the north of 
it. Yet, as will be seen in the following list, Central American repre- 
sentatives of South American forms are still met with, amongst a 
larger number of truly South American species. The occurrence of 
Turdus grayti, Muscivora mexicana, &c. are cases in point. 
[In March and April of last year (1863) I spent three weeks at 
Panama, partly occupied with Capt. Dow in fishing in the Bay of 
Panama, enjoying all the time the hospitality of the steamer ‘ Gua- 
temala.’ On Capt. Dow’s return to Central America I availed my- 
self of a free passage up and down the line of railway, granted me by 
Colonel Totten, to visit Mr. M‘Leannan’s and other stations on the 
line. The time was too short to do much myself—not more than 
sufficient to take a passing view of the scenery of the isthmus and to 
collect a few birds. With pleasure I here acknowledge the great 
service, kindness, and liberality rendered to me by the Panama Rail- 
way Company during the latter part of my stay in Central America, 
and especially by Capt. Dow, to whom I owed my introduction. 
Personally a stranger to him, and only known to him as travelling 
with a scientific object, he, on behalf of the company, not only took 
especial charge of the boxes I forwarded from time to time, but when 
I returned to England a free passage was given me to Aspinwall and 
the hospitality of his ship till she returned on her voyage; and 
since then, where science has been the object, he has done all in his 
power to assist. If other companies were thus liberally disposed, 
how much would the cause of the scientific traveller be aided! 
The line of railway passes through a forest region which, on the 
Atlantic side, is only broken by large swampy tracts. On the higher 
lands and on the Pacific slope a few clearings have been cut ; but, the 
population being very thin, slight impression has been made upon the 
natural growth. Lion Hill Station is situated in a district of the 
densest tropical forest ; the ground is undulating, the hollows being 
swampy in the wet season, and even in the dry the tracks through 
the forest are confined to the low hills. The difficulties of collecting 
are greatly enhanced by the dense undergrowth of a species of Agave, 
the barbed leaves of which catch one at every step, and to pass through 
which a free use of the knife is necessary. Owing to these draw- 
backs Mr. M‘Leannan considered his the worst station on the line 
for collecting ; yet, from what I could judge the few days I spent 
there, I should say that birds were very numerous both in species 
and individuals. When bent ona shooting-excursion, we would start 
at daybreak and ride along the line ina “hand car”? worked by two 
negroes, to some point where a track led into the forest, which we 
would follow till stopped by an impenetrable swamp. All along 
these paths birds abounded, and we had no difficulty in securing in a 
couple of hours enough work to occupy the rest of the day. A car 
