1803 
and shanties. Said to he mines in the hills to the west. Few birds 
were seen. I saw Hminooepla nitons. Faleo sparger ins, a gyackle and 
a blackbird near Lagos, I saw a hawk south of Gaadelupe which Mr. W. 
identified as Buteo abbrevlatus. It had a white rump and broad white 
band tipping tail. Between Torre on and Jimulco I saw the following* 
Melo-pella leucoptera. Sear daf ©11a Inca. Gailipepla squamata. and a Corvus. 
G-eocoecvx calif orniaws . Tory few signs of mammals were seen besides the 
kangaroo rats. I saw a few signs of gophers in damp country a few miles 
north of Lagos and a lot of rather small diggings in fields along the 
road ;Just north of Berriozabel, Saw jack rabbits now and then from 
Torre® north. Saw a small Sperzaoohilus a few miles north of Jimulco. 
Frosts had occurred for the first time for the season within the 
last week in the Talleys of Mexico and Toluca. As the com was pretty 
£ * • : . t»v 
well advanced no particular damage was probably done. From Geiaya north 
no frost had yet occurred. The country between the City of Mexico w® 
did not get to see as we passed over that part of the road by night, W# 
wore familiar with the road as far as Tala, but from there north xm know 
nothing about it. From Celaya to Lagos the country is very wet and in 
many places marshy tracts are converted into lakes. From Lagos north, 
the country gets dryer and dryer, much of the corn was very young or 
rather very 
some of it trying to ear though only a foot or two in 
height and barley only a few inches high was drying up* The newspapers 
had been publishing accounts of the fine crops in all parts of the Re- 
public j it did not seem to apply well to a very large strip of country 
here. Between Geiaya and Calera crops of corn, wheat, barley, beams, 
etc., are raised and grazing is carried on also. From Calera north to 
Jimalco nothing will grow without irrigation. This region is therefore 
only fit for grazing where water can be had for stock. Very little grass 
grows. Great stretches of alkali plain were crossed. The mosquito is 
- G. 50 - 
