1905.] AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 199 
Cumbre de los Cajones; the pass at 3500’ over a ridge which, 
on the south, flank of the main range, marks the beginning of 
volcanic terrain. Oak and pines and ‘columnar cactus. 
Buena Vista, 2300’. Wide meadows, with pools in the rainy 
season ; low hills with oak and pines. 
Typical Tierra Caliente, with an essentially tropical aspect of 
flora and fauna, begins on the southern slopes of the main ridge, 
coinciding with what is officially and locally known as La Costa. 
Its upper ~ limit may be put at not higher than 1000 feet. In the 
depressions between the successive parallel ranges of ‘hills the type 
is absolutely tropical and southern, but the country loses this 
character at once on the ridges which rise higher than 1500 feet. 
Tierra Colorada, 990'; river valley, voleanic. Andesite overlaid 
with red rubble. 
Valley of the Omitlan River, 500’. Limestone, densest vege- 
tation on the slope which culminates in a ridge of 1600’, 
called Kl Cumbre de Coquillo. 
Coquillo to Chacalapan, about 700'; tropical life-—From here, 
across several smoothed down ridges and to the coast, the 
subsoil consists of gneiss and granite in rapid decompo- 
sition, fairly well wooded in clumps or large patches, often 
interrupted by meadows and natural stretches of pasture. 
Numerous small rivers, carrying much sand, but nearly always 
with clear water, but most of them are lable to run dry in the 
winter. Near the granite-bound coast are numerous lagoons, 
mostly of fresh water, and there is a broad belt of almost impene- 
trable high forest, which in many places touches the sea. The 
mangrove-swamps of course are permanent, but during the rainy 
season many parts of these forests are inundated. 
Limon, 1800’. Open, dry grass country. 
Teconapan, 1500’. Broad meadows. 
Ayutla, 1200’. Permanent river; rich vegetation. 
Cocoyul, 160’. Near the coast forest. 
Pacific Camp. Near the shore, 99° W., 16° 36’ N. Close to the 
forest ; large lagoons and swamps; granitic rocks and mangroves. 
San Luis Allende, oa0n Broad river-valley, with  well- 
wooded hills which are covered with various kinds of oak, and 
from 1900' upwards chiefly with pines. 
Nearly the whole Coastal District is, during and after the rainy 
season, covered with a dense mass of tall herbs, which between 
the trees especially take the place of underwood. 
CACILIA. 
Dermophis mexicanus.—This is the only Ceecilian which extends 
into the Mexican Tierra Caliente. Previously known to range 
from “Tehuantepec” to Panama, I found it in the low woods 
near San Juan Evangelista. The American ancestral home of 
this circum-tropical family is South America, and none are known 
to occur on the Antilles or on the Galapagos. It is therefore 
