A YOUNQ NATURALIST. 



303 



vicinity of a stream; but the black species is frequently 

 found away from rivers. 



Lucien wanted at first to carry his game, but he was 

 overtaxed by its weight and gave it up to PEncuerado. 

 Another hill was now before us, and the ground became at 

 every step more and more barren, and on which there w r as 

 little or nothing growing but a few shrubs with a bluish 

 flower. When we had reached the summit of this second 

 ridge, a boundless plain lay spread out before our gaze ; we 

 were now on the central plateau of Mexico, in the Terre- 

 Froide, eight thousand seven hundred feet above the level 

 of the sea. 



What a change there was ! The white soil was so light 

 and dry that it was carried away by the breeze, and pro- 

 duced nothing but a few leafless trees. There were also 

 some thorny bushes smothered in sand, and, a little farther 

 on, some gigantic cacti astonished us with their strange 

 shapes. The sun, reflected by the red glaring surface, 

 much interfered with our sight, so we directed our steps to 

 the right, where there appeared to be a greater amount of 

 shade. 



" Oh, what a wretched country !" cried Lucien. " Can 

 we be still in Mexico ?" 



" Yes," replied I ; " but we are now on the great plateau, 

 almost on a level with the city of Mexico and Puebla." 



"Are we going to cross that great plain? I can see 

 neither birds nor beasts on it ; in fact, one might almost 

 fancy the very trees were thirsty." 



" You are right, for it does not often rain here. Never- 

 theless, this ground, which at first sight appears so barren, 

 is very fruitful when cultivated. It produces wheat, bar- 

 ley, potatoes, apples, pears, cherries, grapes, peaches, and, 

 in short, all the European fruits, which can only grow in a 

 temperate zone. On this plateau, too, grows the Maguey 



