100 Notices , Letters , Extracts from Correspondence, §c. 
Ducks. Of Humming-birds I find 12 species here, but none, I 
fear, new. I cannot, however, complain of the ornithological 
productions of Dueiias, for I seldom go out with my gun without 
bringing back some addition to my collection. You would be 
astonished at the great variety of country concentrated within a 
narrow compass. The consequence of this is a very local distri¬ 
bution of species, and at the same time a great variety. Birds 
seem to assemble in the valleys and plains ; and little is to be 
found either in the more dense forest or on the steep hill-sides. 
The Volcan de Fuego is one of my favourite resorts. Scarcely 
a week passes that I do not enjoy a ramble in its forests. The 
village of Dueiias is situated on the north side of a plain, which 
skirts the volcano on its eastern side. From it the volcano 
rises to a height of 10,000 feet, and to between 14,000 and 
15,000 feet above the sea-level, the summit of it being dirided 
into three peaks, from the most southern of which issues a con¬ 
stant column of smoke, which, though small, is always visible. 
Opposite to it is the Yolcan de Agua, a very respectable hill with 
a single peak, which attains to nearly the same altitude as the 
Yolcan de Fuego. 
“ I am adding greatly to my knowledge of the distribution of 
the birds of this country; and my theories as regards the inhabit¬ 
ants of the hot and cold regions frequently receive severe blows; 
in course of time I hope they will be replaced by others based on 
a surer footing. I find a Iiumming-bird common at Yzabaland 
Dueiias [probably Amazilia arsinoe is referred to (Ed.)] ; another 
is common at Escuintla, on the Pacific coast and near the city 
of Guatemala. At the same time it appears that Pyranga ery- 
thromehena , Chiroxiphia linearis , and Amazilia coralliroslris are 
all Pacific-coast species, and that none of them have as yet been 
met with in the Atlantic coast-region. Cotinga amabilis is, I 
strongly suspect, a bird of the high region. Momotas lessoni 
certainly is so, as also Ictej'us giraudi. So, you sec, there is 
plenty to he done in the way of details, all of which require 
careful investigation.” 
cc Dueiias, October 25tli.—Tomorrow I start for San Gero- 
nimo, Salama, and Coban. I have long had this expedition in my 
mind; for I am particularly anxious to see and find out where 
