316 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



caste, and in various parts of the Terraba Valley, where, especially in 

 the former region, are great tracts of grass-land or " Sabanas," as they 

 are called, with patches of woodland scattered over them. 



Berry- and fruit-trees abound at all altitudes, furnishing food 

 throughout the year for the multitude of fruit-eating tanagers, finches, 

 parrots, toucans, and trogons, while their blossoms give sustenance to a 

 multitude of humming-birds. The tree, which throughout the tropics 

 most attracts humming-birds, is one of the Leguminosae bearing bien- 

 nially great masses of fragrant tassel-like blossoms, which persist for 

 some days before fading, while the blossoming extends over a period 

 of more than two months. It is called the " Guava." 



The country is divided into two meteorological zones, one embracing 

 the Caribbean watershed, and the other the Central plateau and Pacific 

 watershed. On the Caribbean slope the rainfall is excessive and fairly 

 continuous during the whole year, with an average annual precipitation 

 of from two hundred to two hundred and thirty inches over the lower 

 portions. The seasons of greatest rainfall are from December 15 to 

 January 15, and from June 15 to August 15 ; while from January 15 

 to March 15 there is usually very little rain, this being the coolest and 

 most delightful season of the year on the eastern slope. - As the higher 

 parts of the watershed (exclusive of the high peaks) are approached, 

 the rainfall becomes less, and conditions prevail, which approach more 

 nearly those of the Pacific slope and Plateau region. In the two last 

 named regions very different conditions exist; there being six months 

 of dry and six months of rainy season, the rains beginning about May 

 1st and ending with the last of November, while the balance of the 

 year is entirely without rain. During the first and last months of the 

 rainy season the fall is slight, and rarely every day, while during July, 

 August, and October, it is of daily occurrence (during the afternoon 

 only) and often of great violence. During the dry season high winds 

 prevail at all altitudes, but little, if any, wind blows during the wet 

 months. 



Influenced by the continuous rain, the vegetation of the eastern 

 slope naturally becomes much more luxuriant and insect -life more 

 abundant than on the Pacific ; while bird-life, dependent as it is upon 

 these two sources of food, is naturally very abundant, both as to species 

 and individuals ; there being probably not less than three hundred and 

 ninety species and subspecies of land and fresh-water birds found in 

 the lower portion of the Caribbean slope (up to 3,000 feet). 



