Vol. XV, No. 9 



WASHINGTON 



September, 1904 



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A WINTER EXPEDITION IN SOUTHWEST- 

 ERN MEXICO 



By E. W. Nelson 

 Biological Survey, U. S. Department of Agriculture 



THE southern end of the Mexican 

 tableland is a broken plain, 

 varying in altitude from 5,000 

 to 7,500 feet above the sea. Hills and 

 mountains are distributed irregularly 

 over its surface, with level valleys of 

 varying size lying between. The soil 

 is fertile, and these level areas produce 

 abundant crops of wheat and corn, be- 

 sides many fruits and vegetables of the 

 temperate zone. The rainy season 

 comes in summer, but the rainfall is 

 often so scanty that the crops are much 

 benefited by irrigation when water is 

 available. The winter climate is ideal, 

 with abundant sunshine and j ust enough 

 frost at times to make the air bracing. 

 The land is mainly in the possession 

 of wealthy ka, iendados, who usually live 

 in the larger towns. The laborers, or 

 peoncs, are paid scanty wages, and, ac- 

 cording to our standard, are miserably 

 poor. Their own point of view, how- 

 ever, is different, for, having but few 

 wants, they are a contented and cheer- 

 ful race, undisturbed by care so long as 

 the dav's needs are assured. Life among 



them is close to its primitive elements, 

 families often living in little huts 

 thatched with grass and cornstalks. 

 These people vary greatly in their atti- 

 tude toward passing strangers. During 

 my years of wandering through remote 

 parts of Mexico, however, I have fre- 

 quently been compelled to claim their 

 hospitality, and have often been received 

 with a frank cordiality and delicacy of 

 attention that would have done honor 

 to a higher plane of life. 



This part of Mexico is traversed by 

 railways, and the resulting influence of 

 the outside world is gradually affecting 

 the picturesque local customs that are 

 so attractive to visitors. Half a dozen 

 cities, including the three largest in 

 Mexico, are situated on the southern 

 border of the tableland. They are full 

 of interest, from the oriental character 

 of much of the architecture left by the 

 Spaniards, but modern improvements 

 are now becoming much in evidence in 

 the larger places. 



The visiting tourist and his camera 

 are still objects of curiosity to the street 



