Photo by Frank M. Chapman 

 SPOONBILL AND YOUNG IN NEST : TAMIAHUA LAGOON ( SEE PAGE 544) 



of the western variety ) told us that the 

 fauna as well as flora had changed. 



Toward mid-day the trail took the crest 

 of the thin ridge between the deep Ja- 

 mapa and Tlacotiopa barrancas. Dense 

 clouds were below as well as above us. 

 We seemed to be climbing a knife-edge 

 through space. Reaching level ground 

 on what might have been another planet, 

 we camped for the night. Shortly we 

 were visited by a group of seemingly 

 pure-blooded Indian boys from neigh- 

 boring cabins or jacales, who appeared 

 as much excited by our presence as 

 though we had come from another planet. 

 Particularly were they interested in Pat- 

 terson's masterly handling of flapjacks, 

 doubtless to them a kind of glorified tor- 

 tilla, and we ourselves were not without 

 admiration of his skill, and especially its 

 productiveness. 



WAKING IN TPIE CLOUDS 



We awoke in the clouds, and all day 

 they hung closely about us. Huts of 

 hewn boards roofed with split shingles, 

 without windows, and with an unhinged 



door leaning against their one opening, 

 were passed at intervals. At our ap- 

 proach their owners promptly disap- 

 peared within, and although our pass- 

 ing greeting was usually answered, the 

 speaker was unseen, but we could almost 

 feel the questioning look of at least one 

 pair of eyes. They were rather an at- 

 tractive-looking people, with the ruddy 

 olive complexion one finds among the 

 Indians of high altitudes. 



At about 9,000 feet we reached the 

 upper limit of corn, and in consequence 

 the upper limit of human habitation. Be- 

 yond this point only goatherds and ice- 

 miners were encountered. At the same 

 time we entered the outskirts of the 

 coniferous forests of the Boreal Zone. 



PERPETUAL TROPICAL WINTER 



A few outlying short-leaved pines 

 (Pinus montezuma?) had been seen as 

 low as 5,700 feet, and the pine forests 

 descended at least as low as 8,000 feet. 

 At 9,300 feet we encountered the first 

 spruce (Abies religiosa), convincing evi- 

 dence of the boreal character of our sur- 



55o 



