44 
pampas of Argentina during the Pleistocene. Itis a curious coincidence that the 
range of distribution of this order of animals covers the territory influenced by 
the Spanish tongue in the Americas. 
The new specimen was found on the San Miguel ranch twelve miles west 
of Ameca. As the Madero revolution was in progress at the time of the discovery, 
I did not as usual camp near the spot where the work was to be done, consider- 
ing it safer to sleep in the town with its little colony of half a dozen American 
families. Thus there was a ride to and from the specimen, which consumed se- 
veral hours each day, but the changing rural scenes more than compensated 
for the loss of time. Every mile was through scenes primitive as in Bible times. 
It is difficult to realize that within four days' travel from New York, people are 
using the methods of soil culture employed two thousand years ago. In the va- 
lley, whiteclad men cultivated the fields with wood pointed plows drawn by oxen, 
or planted sugar cane, while on the hills and high above on the mountain sides 
others worked in the fields of century plants from which teguila the native alco- 
holic drink, is brewed. 
The peon field hand is a picturesque figure in his white cotton shirt and 
trousers, with a straw sombrero and fibre sandals. A bright red blanket over his 
shoulder serves as a coat when the air is chill, and at night is his bed. In the 
early hours of the day groups of blanketed figures shuffle along the road to and 
from town, some carrying immense loads on their heads or backs. But the bu- 
rro is the common carrier of the mountainous districts. What the camel is to 
desert Africa, the burro is to Mexico. Caravans file over the mountain trails 
loaded with bales, boxes and lumber. At first sight it is rather disconcerting to 
see a stak of hay or a shock of corn moving along the road apparently of his 
own volition. Closer scrutiny, however, reveals four tiny feet underneath, suf- 
ficient evidence that a burro is the motive power. 
Strageling groups of adobe huts and thatched shelters of the peons are 
scattered along the streams and at springs. On wash days the women congre- 
gate along the streams, washing the clothes on flat stones. 
Having had fossils injured by curious natives in northern Mexico, 1 feared 
that harm might come to this valuable specimen if found by them, so exerci- 
sed considerable care to ride to it unobserved until is should be completely pre- 
pared for transportation. When ready form shipment it weighed over four hun- 
dred pounds. The work of carrying the fossil to Ameca proved a considerable 
problem. An oxcart, because of its uncertainty was not to be considered, the- 
refore the mail-carrier of the town was persuaded to transport the fossil in his 
wagon—that is, from the point where the road began. From the bad lands down 
to this road eight peons carried the specimen suspended from a pole, making a 
picturesque group, as are all seen along Mexican roads. Before this discovery 
there were in existence two glyptodont carapaces from the valley of Mexico, 
