168 SOUTH AMERICA— THE ANDES REGIONS. 



other felines ; bears, sloths, and ant-eaters ; tapirs and peccaries — all belong to the 

 same species as those of Venezuela and Central America, as do also most of the 

 birds. Nevertheless, certain species have a very limited range, conditioned by the 

 presence of certain trees or flowers. Hence any slight disturbance — a fire, a 

 clearance, erosions, or landslips — will at times suffice to cause their disappearance. 

 The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, which is probably of very old geological 

 formation, has its own little floras and faunas, including at least five special 

 varieties of the humming-bird collected in this district by Simons. 



The variety, gorgeous hues, and eccentric forms of the insects present a remark- 

 able analogy to the richness, beauty, and strange shapes affected by so many of the 

 orchids. Colombia is a veritable paradise of entomologists : certain districts have 

 become famous for the myriads of their magnificent butterflies. Such especially 

 is the Muso valley, north-west of Bogota, in the upper Minero basin, where 

 popular superstition has traced some mysterious relation between the mineral 

 emeralds asleep in the rocks and the living emeralds flitting in the air. 



It is difficult to form any adequate idea of the prodigious multitudes of these 

 "winged gems "; calculations have been made that certain clouds of butterflies, 

 such as those at times shrouding the seaward slopes of the Santa Marta Nevada, 

 must contain trillions of insects. On such occasions the teeming life of the 

 atmosphere corresponds with that of the neighbouring waters, which at certain 

 times are coloured entirely yellow for many hundreds of square miles by myriads 

 of small jellyfish. At certain seasons of the year the fish ascend the Atrato in 

 such dense shoals that the surface waters become agitated, as if obstructed by 

 formidable rapids. 



On the plains and in the open valleys the several animal species generally occupy 

 wide domains round about the mountain ranges, but, like those of the vegetable 

 forms, these zones are superimposed on the surrounding slopes. Thus the monkeys 

 of the tropical forests never ascend to the cold regions ; above 6,000 feet the 

 traveller is safe from the fangs of venomous snakes, and fleas and many other 

 parasites, as well as birds and butterflies, are similarly limited in vertical range. 

 A solitary species of humming-bird, the stcganura undenvoodii, whose feet are well 

 protected by a fluffy white down, penetrates as far as the bleak paramos. But 

 high above the loftiest summits soars the huitre, or king vulture {sarcoramplms 

 fapci), a superb yet repulsive creature, decked in gaudy colours, who swoops 

 down from the depths of the heavens on the fallen quarry, and gorges on the 

 choice parts, encircled by eagles, carrion hawks, and other birds of prey respect- 

 fully awaiting the end of the royal banquet. 



Certain restricted zones can be explained neither by altitude nor by any special 

 conditions of soil or climate. Thus the domain of the mosquito is abruptly limited 

 in the districts of Villanueva and other villages of the TJpar Valley, where there is 

 nevertheless no lack of marshy waters. On leaving the village the traveller sees 

 dense clouds whirling in the air, but always stopping short of a certain tree 

 or some such landmark, beyond which he need not fear their attack. 



Despite the heavj»- rainfall and vast woodlands, certain regions are at times 



