io8 The A?ncrican Geologist. August, lywi 
near my head, and looked and saw a huge bull in the moonlight, re- 
garding me intently. I suddenly rose with a noise and the beast 
wheeled ofif but didn't go far before he commenced plowing the earth 
with his horns. A few stones induced him to take himself and gypsy 
cattle with him, out of hearing. Soon after I got to sleep, a rat, or 
vermin of similar size, ran through my blankets from my heels along 
my back and emerging at my neck with considerable celerity." 
"Monterey, Mexico, (?) November 2, 1883, * * The situation of 
this oity is the most beautiful I have ever seen. * * * Huge Agaves 
elephants among plants, grow along the road sides; and one species 
of Yucca forms trees of strange aspect, each branch terminating in a 
head of "Spanish bayonets." * * A fine stream rises near the town 
by a spring and soon becomes as large as Cooper's creek at Haddon- 
field. * * * Its waters are perfectly clear, and are full of fishes. I 
caught some specimens with hook and line, and got the boys to calch 
some for pay, and so have secured a good collection. I got these 
species: Spiny-finned Chromidias, i species; Percidse, i sp. (Sun fish); 
Soft rayed fishes, Cyprinidse, (minnows, etc.) 3 sp. ; Cyprinodontidse, 
I sp. ; Characinida;, 1 sp. Total 7 sp. 
Now the Chromididas and Characinid^e are southern hemisphere 
fishes, while the others are northern hemisphere; so here it is that they 
meet and mix together. I never knew just where the line between the 
Neotropical, and Nearctic faunae (as they are called) should be drawn 
before. I went out walking one day, and the lizards showed me the 
same thing. I caught four species; two belong to New Mexico and 
Texas, and two to Mexico. The birds are mixed in the same way. 
The wrens, blackbirds and a good many others are Mexican, but our 
dove and meadow-lark are here." 
In 1884 Prof. Cope published fifty-seven scientific papers. 
"January 8, 1885, Dear F. Let me congratulate you on our elec- 
tion to offices of honor if not emolument in the A. P. S. * *" 
"Near Ortiz, Chihuahua, Mexico, March 4, 1885. * * My first 
trip (to Monterey) was in November, 1883, a little early. My next was 
in April, 1884, a little late. Right here it is spring. • Cottonwood trees 
are coming out in tender young leaves, and the peach trees are in 
bloom. On the grassy plains millions of small birds probably mi- 
grating, and accompanied by hawks of several species. The ground 
between the low bushes of Larrea mexicana and Koeberlinia spinosa 
was for a distance covered with a close carpet of pink-purple flowers." 
"Zacualtipan Hidalgo, March 15, 1885. * * The Valley of Mex- 
ico, when all its surroundings can be seen, is one of the most beautiful 
places I know of, and is perhaps not excelled in any country. I will 
never forget the scene as the train sped on its way towards Vera 
Cruz on the morning of the loth. We got of? at Iralo and took a 
pretended railroad for Pachuca. It turned out to be a horse "railway" 
by Brill, of Philadelphia, which ran down hill most of the way by 
gravity, and was pulled up a few hills by mules. We passed through 
