IO SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 69 



guano on the floor evidenced the occupation of the^cave for a long 

 period. Bats of several other species were located in smaller caves 

 and clefts in the vicinity. 



Collections of the more easily obtainable species of mammals and 

 birds of the Canal Zone being now fairly complete, a trip to eastern 

 Panama was decided upon in order to determine the relation of the 

 fauna of the Canal Zone to that of South America. In accordance 

 with this plan, arrangements were made through Mr. Pablo Pinel, the 

 Panama agent of the Darien Gold Mining Company, Ltd., to visit the 

 San Miguel Bay region and the company's plant, a favorable loca- 

 tion for work in the high mountains near the Colombian frontier. 

 We sailed from Panama on the little steamer " Cana," the evening 

 of February 21. Early on the following morning we were off the 

 mouth of San Miguel Bay. The mangrove- fringed coast was low 

 and no high mountains were at first visible, but the abrupt slopes 

 of Mount Pirre soon began to loom on the southeastern horizon and 

 increased in distinctness as we bore in that direction. The entire 

 day was spent in steaming up the bay and estuary of the Rio Tuyra. 

 Short stops were made at La Palma and Chepigana, native villages, 

 built mainly of palm-thatched houses picturesquely grouped on the 

 southern shore. Along the northern side of the Tuyra, extensive 

 tidal forests included an abundant growth of " cocobola " (Dal- 

 bergia retusa), the hard wood of which was being cut by a Chinese 

 company for use in the manufacture of knife handles and for other 

 purposes. Anchor was cast in the mouth of the Chucunaque River 

 about dark in the evening, and we were obliged to wait an hour for 

 the tide to rise high enough to enable the little steamer to proceed, 

 arriving abCut 9.30 p. m. at Marraganti, the station of the Darien 

 Gold Mining Company, near the head of steam navigation, about 

 one and one-half miles above the town of Real de Santa Maria. 

 We were cordially welcomed by the agent, Mr. Pedro Campagnani, 

 to whom I became much indebted for courtesies extended at various 

 times during my stay in the region. On February 23 we continued 

 up the Rio Tuyra about 30 miles by dugout canoe, or " piragua." to 

 Boca de Cupe. Unlike the dugout canoes of the Canal Zone the 

 piragua of this region is truncated and has a platform for the 

 canoeist at each end, admirably adapting it for poling, the native 

 method of progressing either up or down stream. The river banks 

 are low and rather uniformly forested to near the edge of the water, 

 the gigantic " cuipo " trees (Cavanillesia platanifolia) presenting 

 striking features and tending to relieve the general monotony. We 



