g/f. West Americayi Scieyiiist. 



or small skunk, (Mephitis putorius,) is more dreaded by Mexican 

 residents than all the other " vermin," as Father Baegert named 

 them, it having a penchant for biting a sleeping person in the face 

 or other exposed part, and its bite causes hydrophobia or some- 

 thing akin to it. Of this I was for a time skeptical, but I obtained 

 so much testimony, that I became convinced of its truth. 



I was told at La Paz, that the bite of the skunk was not harm- 

 ful north of about latitude 25°. 



My greatest misfortune while in Lower California, was that I 

 was stung about a dozen times by the "Allikranz " or scorpion, 

 my greatest annoyance, that caused by the numerous fleas. Cock- 

 roaches and ants would persist in getting in my drinking water, 

 especially at San Jose del Cabo, where the fleas were also most 

 troublesome, until I learned to keep the water in bottles. 



The Cockroaches were marvels of their kind,' being about two 

 inches long and stout in proportion. 



Of the ants there were several species, and each was numerous- 

 ly represented. 



When camping in the country, I was careful to camp in sandy 

 arroyos, shunning rocky ground for fear of reptiles and the 

 skunk. 



The Mexicans usually keep dogs about their camps to protect 

 them from the latter. 



Scorpions sometimes dropped from the palm thatched roofs of 

 the dwellings on my bed, and occasionally I would find them in 

 my garments, where they had secreted themselves during the 

 night, but after one painful experience, I examined the garments 

 with due caution every morpiing, and ntver neglected to invert my 

 boots and shake them. 



The Mexicans weie always kindly and hospitably inclined, and 

 when stopping at a strange ranch for a night, I made it a rule to 

 place my gun in charge of the proprietors, and I never had cause 

 to regret the confidence I reposed in them. The Custom officials 

 always accepted my statements as to the contents of my packages, 

 and would politely decline to inspect them. 



Professor Baird, the able director of the National Museum and 

 Smithsonian Institution, for which I was collecting, advised me to 

 pay special attention to the reptiles of Lower California, informing 

 me that Xantus found many interesting species, among which were 

 two very interesting species of rattlesnakes, and that I too would 

 be likely to discover new ones. With appropriate zeal, I endeav- 

 ored to follow his advice, and was fairly rewarded for my efforts, 

 though collectini^ and caring for the specimens was anything but 

 pleasant, and an uncertain degree of danger was involved in it. 



Fortunately, when I arrived at La Paz in December, the Messrs. 

 Gaston Brothers were having new ground, about three miles west 

 of La Paz, spaded for a garden, and upon learning that their la- 

 borers often unearthed hibernating reptiles of various kinds, I lost 



