486 Scientific Intelligence. 



for large herds of cattle. . The nature of the soil is the only suf- 

 ficient explanation of this change of vegetation. 



The soil is a very tough clay filled with weathered bowlders of 

 all sizes. An examination of the bowlders showed them to con- 

 sist largely of a coarse-grained diorite from the decomposition of 

 which the clay is formed. Aside from the numerous pyramid- 

 shaped piles of stones scattered around, examinations were made 

 in the beds of gullies with perpendicular walls, cut by the water 

 during the rainy season. 



It was while examining the stones in one of these gullies, 

 that my attention was attracted by several huge bones projecting 

 from the walls. My interest was at once awakened on account 

 of this being a possible intermediate link between the great Ter- 

 tiary Lake formations in the United States and Mexico, and those 

 in the U. S. of Columbia. I had only my geologist's hammers 

 with me, and with these no headway could be made in exti'icating 

 these bones from the tough clay. Had I succeeded in extracting 

 them uo means were at hand for carrying them to the coast twenty 

 miles away. 



Upon inquiry of our host, through our interpreter, he informed 

 me that the entire skeleton of a huge animal had been washed 

 from the soil a few years before, but that all but a few fragments 

 had been destroyed by the inhabitants who were more curious 

 than scientific. A few fragments were shown me, and as there 

 were bits of much decomposed ivory among them, I concluded 

 that the remains w T ere those of Mastodons or other allied species. 



I was further informed that a veryperfect skeleton had been 

 taken by the government to the college at Santa Barbara. Busi- 

 ness prevented my visiting this town and I am unable to confirm 

 the report. There is great likelihood that this locality is very 

 rich in vertebrate remains, and that search for them would be 

 comparatively easy on account of the natural sections cut by the 

 streams which are dry except during the rainy season. 



Nor would the paleontologist alone find working material. 

 The foot-hills, to which I have alluded, bear numerous traces 

 of former inhabitants, as well as demonstrate that the valley was 

 formerly a lake. On the summit of these hills are very frequently 

 found great heaps of bivalve shells about the form and size of the 

 ordinary fresh-water clam. They could not have been taken from 

 the modern streams as they are all rapid, and I noticed only 

 such univalves as are commonly found in such places. Among 

 these shell heaps are frequently found flint and stone implements, 

 and also bones and the rude stone images often found among the 

 Aztec ruins. These last two statements I am unable to vouch for 

 as my limited time allowed only a hurried search. 



It may be interesting to note that, to me, the Nigrito appears 

 to be but one of a chain of lakes which extended from the Ulna 

 river to near the river Poyas, about two hundred miles east. 



There is no doubt but that a scientific party, with leisure, 

 would be richly repaid for time spent in exploring this section of 



