1878.] MR. A. BOUCARD ON BIROS FROM COSTA RICA. 39 



This excursion lasted a fortnight. During that time I made a 

 good collection of bird-skins, amongst them a female of the rare 

 Cotingine bird, Carpodectes nitidus, quite new to science ; also many 

 other good species, as Myrmotherula melcena, Urospatha martii, 

 Prionirhynchus carinatus, Crypturus boucardi, &c. 



All the time I had to work at a great disadvantage. On the trunk 

 of a tree I prepared my skins, with an empty box for a seat. Pig3 

 and ants were always ready to do mischief ; and I lost several good 

 specimens of birds by pigs devouring them when they were drying 

 in the sun. 



My other excursions were to Cartago, Aguas Calientes, Navarro, 

 Orozi, the Volcano of Irazu, Candelaria, Naranjo, &c. 



Cartago is a town of about 10,000 inhabitants. It was formerly 

 the capital ; but owing to the frequent earthquakes felt there, and 

 the great destruction of property occasioned by the same, the govern- 

 ment was transferred to San Jose. The town is built at the base of 

 the Volcano of Irazu, in a beautiful valley which varies from three 

 to six miles in width and is about ten in length. 



Aguas Calientes is a very prosperous village, only two miles and 

 a half from Cartago. Although at such a short distance, it is much 

 warmer, being well sheltered from the north wind, and about 250 feet 

 lower. 



A few miles further, going north-east, are the small villages of 

 Navarro and Orozi, the localities for Phainoptila melanoxantha, Ghlo- 

 rophonia callophrys, Geotrygon costaricensis, Tetragonops frantzii, 

 &c. ; and if you still go further north, you reach Tucuriqui, the 

 locality where Arce procured the type-specimen ( $ ) of Carpodectes 

 nitidus. All these localities are from 500 to 2500 feet lower than 

 Cartago, and the fauna is very rich. 



Naranjo is the name of a very important hacienda, belonging to 

 to the Tenoco family. Lately a small village of the same name has 

 beeu formed by the workmen of the hacienda. It stands on the 

 road from San Jose to Limon (the Atlantic port). 



This locality is very good for a naturalist, lying between the 

 volcanoes of Irazu and Turrialba. In a few hours you can change 

 your altitude from 1500 to 8000 feet or more if you choose; con- 

 sequently there is a great variety of species to be got. The forests 

 are luxuriant, due chiefly to the climate, which is very wet. It rains 

 nearly all the year round. I found there many of the same species 

 met with at San Carlos. 



From Cartago I made several excursions to the Volcano of Irazu. 



Up to the altitude of 6000 feet you only see maize- and wheat- 

 plantations, occasionally some potreros (plains) where they fatten 

 cattle, until you reach a small village called Potrero cerrado, where 

 they cultivate potatoes extensively. A little further on begins the 

 forest, where a species of oak tree is very abundant. Then the 

 fauna changes entirely. You do not meet any more with the species 

 of birds found in the valley, but such others as Ptilogonys caudatus, 

 Setophaga aurantiaca and S. torquata, Panda gutturalis, Pesopetes 

 capitalis, &c. Further on, at the altitude of from 7000 to 8000 feet 



