R.K.Selander, 1953 21 Oct. 7 10mi. N Trutla, 4800ft, Chiapas, Mexico Block cultures fairly common flying above the rain forest. The rain forest proper has a thick understory of vines & herbs, making collecting difficult. Orchids and other plants growing on many of the trees. Only was able to hunt about 2 hours in all today -- birds quiet and hard to attract. Took a small lizard which was climbing from the ground to a small dead tree branch in the forest. Some of the forest has been cleared for corn - a few banana plants around corn fields - including one in deloom. Very few paths in this region so hunting was done mainly along the road & a short distance from it. I do not believe we were in true rain forest today - rather, it looked like a mixture of rain forest & deciduous vegetation, perhaps predominantly the former, however. Learned of the murder of Dr. R. Swain, the entomologist. He was shot by a Mexican hold-up-man in a small town in Oaxaca. In the newspaper it was reported that 4 Mexicans stopped his car near this town & demanded $2000 (pesos). When he reached to his pocket for his wallet, one of the Mexicans shot him with an "escopeta" (which is a shotgun -- probably a pistol or rifle, however).