86 
REPORT ON EXPLORATIONS IN PANAMA. 
Dr. N. L. Brirron, Direcror IN CHIEF. 
Dear Siy: As a your insrruction I proceeded to the Isth- 
mus of Panama, on the P. S.S. Co.’s S. S. Finance, arriving there 
on the afternoon ae Weanesday. February 22. Thursday was 
spent in securing a suitable room, unpacking and preparing for 
work and in making a short exploration about Colon, where my 
headquarters were established 
Friday my first collecting ep was made and from that day 
until the middle of March the work went on without serious in- 
terruption. The principal features of the canal zone for several 
miles out of Colon consist of numerous open swamps with small 
hillocks and ridges emerging irregularly. At this season of the 
year it is possible by occasional wading and Mea to pene- 
trate some of these swamps for considerable distances. During 
the rains, mane? of these swamps ag eee except as 
a “ dugout” might be forced cou the more open ies The 
dense vegetation is made up of comparatively few spec The 
predominating plants being a species of Zypha, Thala ae 
a big Acrostichum and several species of strongly sige sedges, 
n the lagoons and slow flowing drainage streams are Nywz- 
phaea ampla(?) Pistia, two or three species of Bichornia, Lemna, 
Salvinia, Limnocharis, etc. On the firmer portions are some 
palms, two species of Carludovica, mangroves, giant pipers, etc. 
There are very few of the smaller marsh-loving things that one 
might expect to find. 
As progress is made toward the Pacific side of the Isthmus 
the land rises and the swamp areas become narrowed, the streams 
swifter, until at Culebre the highest land in the strip is found at 
an elevation of about 400 feet 
this high point the descent to the sea level is quite rapid. 
While during the winter months the entire zone is comparatively 
dry, and unresponsive, yet from Culebre to the Pacific the ground 
is parched and vegetation is at a standstill, and desert condi- 
tions are approached. Few distinctively desert plants are to be 
found however, as during the rainy season the moisture is suffi- 
cient to reclothe the ground with an abundant growth. 
