1917.] Chapman, Distribution of Bird-life in Colombia. 39 



in places grown over above by the luxuriant vegetation forming tunnels, 

 until an altitude of 7,400 feet is reached. The forest now is very luxuriant, 

 similar to that on the top of the first ridge. Here was an assemblage of 

 birds mostly new to me. I should like to have been able to work it thor- 

 oughly, but of course we could not stop even for a day on account of the 

 scarcity of food. 



"This extremely humid forest extends down the western slope of this 

 second ridge until 4000 feet is reached where the change, which is complete 

 at '3,500 feet, begins. The moss and epiphytes gradually disappear, the 

 forest floor becomes dryer, the bamboo appears and becomes abundant, 

 and the forest takes on much of the character of the Rio Frio vegetation. 

 The change in the birds is likewise very noticeable. This forest continues 

 down and across the valley and up the east side of the third ridge to practi- 

 cally the same altitude, it being only on its very top that the humid zone 

 prevails. The trail coming down the west slope of the second ridge follows 

 the ridge which separates the Ingara from the Avita, which flow together 

 at El Puente to form the Tamana. El Puente is a collection of some half 

 dozen bamboo houses filled with shiftless, long-legged negroes where one 

 can get but a few expensive plantains by way of supplies. The fauna of 

 the valley contains a large percentage of the coast forms, birds which we 

 saw for the first time, but found very common in the Choco proper. 



" The top of the last ridge compares favorably with the similar altitude 

 of the second ridge, and is not nearly so humid as the higher altitude, though 

 strikingly different from the bamboo zone below. The west slope of this 

 last ridge is different from any I have before described. There is but little 

 bamboo or none. It is more humid than that zone and yet there is no moss 

 and comparatively few epiphytes. The coast fauna, I believe, there extends 

 nearly to the top — at least to about 3,500 feet. The forest at Juntas, 

 Novita and Noanama seemed practically the same in nature as this western 

 slope and though we took different birds at each place I presume it was due 

 to the short time spent in each." 



Juntas de Tamand: — "Altitude 400 feet. Except for the clearing in 

 which the small village is located, the entire country is covered with a rich, 

 humid, steaming forest of large trees and comparatively little undergrowth 

 except that formed by the giant vines hanging down from the branches and 

 occasional patches of fern. There are many epiphytes and but little moss, 

 reminding one of Rio Frio, only much more humid. Birds were abundant 

 along the edge of the clearing and along the forest trails but, as elsewhere, 

 scarce in the deep woods." 



Novita: — "Altitude (150 feet). Although Novita has the reputation 

 of being one of the wettest spots in Colombia, the forest seemed less humid 



