1905. J " AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 199 



Cumbre de los Oajones ; 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 cokxmnar cactns. 



Buena Yista, 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 ofticially 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 Oolorada, 990' ; river valley, volcanic. 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 El Cumbre de Coquillo. 



Coquillo to Ghacalapan, about 700' ; tropical life. — From here, 

 across several smoothed down lidges and to the coast, the 

 subsoil consists of gneiss and granite in rapid decompo- 

 sition, fairly well wooded in clumps or large patches, often 

 interi'upted by meadows and natural stretches of pasture. 

 Numei'ous small rivers, carrying much sand, but nearly always 

 with clear water, but most of them are liable to run dry in the 

 winter. Near the granite-bound coast ai'e 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 i-ainy 

 season many parts of these forests are inundated. 



Limon, 1800'. Open, dry grass country. 



Teconapan, 1500'. Broad meadows. 



Ayutla, 1200'. Permaaient 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 swamjDS ; gi'anitic rocks and mangroves. 



San Luis AUende, 930'. Broad river- valley, with well- 

 wooded hills which are covered with vaiious kinds of oak, and 

 from 1900' upwards chiefly with pines. 



Nearly the whole Coastal Disti-ict is, during and af tei- the rainy 

 season, covered with a dense mass of tall herbs, which between 

 the trees especially take the place of underwood. 



Gjecilije. 



Dei'mojjhis mexicanus. — This is the only Cascilian which extends 

 into the Mexican Tiei-ra Caliente. Previously known to range 

 from " Tehuantepec " to Panama, I found it in the low woods 

 near San Juan Evangelista. The American ancesti'al 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 



