﻿ICFITHYOLOGTCAI. RECONNAISSANCE OF C0IX)MBIA 



collections being made on the way at Honda. The upper part of 

 the Magdalena was followed to Girardot, where extensive collections 

 were made. From Girardot, the route led first over the western 

 rim of the plain at an elevation of about 8800 feet to Bogota, on an 

 elevated plain a,mong the eastern Cordilleras ; collections were made 

 on the plain at C'hapinero, north of Bogota, and at Madrid, near 

 the western margin of the plains of Bogota. A return was made 

 to Girardot, from which a pack train conveyed men and baggage 

 via Chicoral to Quatro Esquinas, Ibague, Toche, across the Quindio 

 Pass of the central Cordilleras, at an elevation of 11200 feet, to 

 Boquia, Piedra Moler and Cartago near the Cauca River. The 

 Cauca, being too low for the regular steamers, the pack train was 

 used through the Cauca valley via Paila, Buga La Grande, Buga 

 to C-ali, collections being made at Paila and at Cali. 



By still another pack train the western Cordilleras were crossed. 

 Near Cali the eontinental divide is at an elevation of 6000 feet. 

 After collecting- at Caldas (elevation of 3722 feet); the valley of 

 the Dagua was descended by rail, collections being made at Cisnero 

 (1046 feet), at Cordova (120 feet), and in tide water. C^aldas is 

 but forty -nine miles by rail from the coast town of Buenaventura; 

 Cisnero, thirty-three miles; and Cordova, twelve miles. 



From Buenaventura, on the Pacific coast of Colombia, a steamer 

 was taken up the San Juan River to Puerto Negria ; thence a dugout 

 and a crew of Indians carried the expedition as far as Istmina ; 

 collections were made in both the latter places. From Istmina, 

 after a ride of two hours up a little stream, and across the low 

 eontinental divide (elevation 300 feet above sea level) the valley 

 of the Atrato was entered near Tambo. By dugout the settlement 

 of Raspadura was reached; thence the Raspadura River was fol- 

 lowed into the Quibdo River, then the Quibdo River. Collections^ 

 were made at Boca de Certegai and near the town of Quibdo, at 

 the junction of the Quibdo River with the Atrato. From Quibdo, 

 a specially chartered steamer was taken to Rio Sucio, where addi- 

 tional collections were made. From Sucio, a steamer carried the 

 expedition back to the starting point at Cartagena. During tlie 

 entire trip not a moment was lost from work on account of illness; 

 ' but on the way down the Atrato malarial fever appeared and made 

 the journey home unpleasant. 



I cannot hope to have exhausted the fauna of this large area. 

 But the large collections made will enable us to formulate properly, 

 if not altogether to solve, the questions of the geographical dispersal 

 and distribution of the fishes of western Colombia. 



