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Nov., t9o5l A WINTER WITH THE BIRDS IN COSTA RICA x57 spreading, so that the hummingbirds could easily be shot with the auxilliary bar- rel or collecting pistol. From one ot these guava trees we collected fifteen species of hummers, among them several rare and exceedingly beautiful ones, as the min- ute, /?icrochera parvirostris, crimson with a snow-white cap, the grotesquely tufted and bearded Lophornis helena,, and the thorn-tailed Popelairia conversi--neither of these larger than a small bumble-bee and therefore much smaller than any of our North American species. Coliblanco, our next collecting place, is an estate belonging to Don Aurelio Lopez Calleja, of Cartago, on the lower slope of a mountain near the volcano of Turrialba, at an estimated altitude of about 6500 feet. With a good frame dwell- ing for our shelter and accommodation, kindly placed at our disposal by Don Au- relio, and a large clearing containing scattered trees of many kinds ahnost at the "back door," a more convenient collecting place could scarcely be imagined. A I ? ' - ? . . . , .. -. ?,.- - ,? ?..?e,, ,? , . ? ? ALFARO TAKING EGGS OF CONURUS PETZI FRObl NEST OF WHITE ANTS faint idea of the beauty of our surroundings may be obtained from the accompany- ing photograph of a portion of the potrero, a few hundred yards from the house. But a photograph, however good, gives only a weak impression of the scene, for the striking and harmonious color-scheme is wanting and therein, not less than in variety of form, consists the glory of tropical vegetation, as presented in the moist and cool upland regions. Almost every tree has its own peculiar hue of green; some are golden, some nearly russet, others blue-green, yellow-green or deep olive-green, ac- cording to the species. Most of the trees bore flowering vines or epiphytes, while some were decked in blossoms of their own, notably the erythrina trees, whose flowers were of the most brilliant vermilion, red, orscarlet. These erythrina trees were fre- quented by two large and exceeding beautiful hummingbirds, Heliodorajacula and ugenes speclabilis, of which good series were secured. In some parts of the potrero, chiefly on or near the water courses, magnificent tree-ferns, of at least