pany has brought to a thoroughly sanitary condition, i 

 eastern terminus of the Northern Railway of Costa Ria 

 affords the only shipping outlet for the enormous banana 

 vations of eastern Costa Rica controlled by the Fruit Com; 



The 



erly din 



through the lowlands to Siquirres, thence south and west along 

 the gorge of the Rio Reventazon through the wonderfully pic- 

 turesque region of Juan Vinas and Santiago, steadily climbing 

 meanwhile the steep slopes of the widening valley, which to the 

 south of the river show an almost unbroken forest, but here on 

 the north are mostly cleared and under cultivation, even far 

 above to the middle slopes of the great volcano Irazu. Cartago 

 lies in the midst of this more open country at an altitude of about 

 1,450 meters. From here there is a short rise to the sui 

 the continental divide a few miles westward, and then ; 

 descent through wide stretches of coffee cultivation into 

 terior basin which contains San Jose, the capital city, shut in by 

 mountains upon nearly all sides at an elevation of aboul 



I traversed this route to San Jose, April 14, upon trar 

 tion courteously provided by Mr. E. P. Schroeppe, at th 

 acting manager for the Fruit Company in Costa Rica, an< 

 after, up to May 28, made this city my headquarters. I brought 

 with me from Washington and New York letters of introduction 

 to several naturalists resident in San Jose, and I have experienced 

 nothing more cordial than the warm welcome and open-hearted 

 cooperation extended to me by the small but enthusiastic circle. 

 Dr. Anastasio Alfaro, the able head of the Institute Fisico-geo- 

 grafico National — an institution which, like our own Smithson- 

 ian, controls a National Museum —immediately offered me every 

 facility and provided for my special use a large work-room. 

 This arrangement proved of the greatest service ; for, as I had 

 feared, the rains were now becoming too prevalent to permit of 

 drying specimens in the field, and it was found necessary to work 



soft 





