1917.] Chapman, Distribution of Bird-life in Colombia. 61 



Piierto Berrio to Medellin: — " Coming up from Puerto Berrio, the heavy 

 Magdalena forest extends up until only about 1500 feet, although patches 

 of it ascend much higher, to the top of the lower foothills several thousand 

 feet high; beyond the forest belt begins open brush and scattered forest 

 country. Wild cane and bamboo jungles grow in profusion up to Cisneros, 

 alt. 3700 feet, which is the end of the eastern stretch of railroad. Beyond 

 Cisneros rocks appear — sandstone and granite, in boulders and outcrop- 

 ping ledges. By the time the highest point is reached (carriage road) at 

 La Quiebra, altitude 5425 feet, the hills are practically bare. Coming down 

 from La Quiebra toward Medellin the country is the same. The railroad 

 again begins at Botero and follows the Medellin River to the city; the valley 

 •of this river is covered with a tall, slender willow growth which I have not 

 seen in any other place in Colombia. The trees are like some seen about 

 Popayan where a few have been planted along a driveway; but here they 

 form a pretty compact forest." 



Santa Elena and Barro Blanco: — " Santa Elena is an interesting place 

 with an elevation of 9000 feet, which is the top of the ridge, although there 

 are a few peaks near which reach to 9500 feet. The temperature ranged 

 between 40° and 62°, and the vegetation reminds me much of the crest of 

 the Andes west of Popayan. There are, however, a few patches of forest, 

 but most of the country is grassy and brush-covered. 



Continuing toward Rio Negro (a large town) from Sta. Elena, a good 

 trail goes gently downward into an immense, practically level plateau from 

 7000 to 8000 feet high. All of this is pretty well settled, devoid of forest, and 

 •cultivated; corn fields cover practically the whole region, with an occasional 

 pasture and small area of brush. Beyond the plateau the peaks again rise 

 about a thousand feet, with open or brush-covered sides and tops fringed 

 Tvith low forest. Barro Blanco (our camp) was at the foot of this hemming- 

 in ridge. Although the altitude is 7200 feet, the heat at mid-day is intense. 

 Tall fan palms grow, though in small numbers, and there are clumps of feath- 

 ery bamboo. The fauna is quite different from that at Sta. Elena although 

 some forms such as Planesticus gigas and Brachyspiza are abundant. It 

 does not seem possible that this part of the Central Range was ever forested, 

 that is, as heavily as the jungle we found at San Antonio, above Cali, 

 although there are evidences that vast tracts have been cleared. All indica- 

 tions are that the mountainsides were to a large extent brush-covered with 

 bushes, ferns, and climbing bamboo up to fifteen feet high, with clumps of 

 low, rather open forest on the peaks. The soil for the main part is clay 

 and rocky. December, January and February, June, August and Septem- 

 ber are the dry months; March, April and May, July, October, and No- 

 vember are the 'winter' months, during which it rains. Our experience 



