Hankar, James 1976 Journal Hotel Mayorga, Fortin de las Flores, Est. Veracruz, Mexico 25 July Manalee + Tom Wake and the Fede's worked up area (cont'd) behind Miguel's house and collected a few Thorius, a few Parvimolge, two Lineatriton, and one B. rufescens. New Wake's party also got a snake and two Xenosaurus grandis. Doug, Carlos Corzo, and myself went to Xometla We drove on on the flanks of Volcan Orizaba. We were able to drive on pavement to la Pila, and then on a gravel road 2.5 mi. to the town of Tejocote (elev 6100') From here we walked ~ 5 mi in 2 1/2 hrs to Xometla (elev ~ 8000') along foot path and the truck road. The road to Xometla appears passable in most places, but some spots are very muddy or covered with mudslides and the road is closed to motor traffic just above Tejocote. We were told that one may also reach Xometla from Loma Grande (where Brad Shaffer, Carlos, and I got Thorius samples last winter) to the W. This is still a three hour walk, but you are starting at approximately same elevation. The weather was perfect for our trip to Xometla: sunny + warm in the morning, clouding over in the afternoon with only a slight rain shower while we were walking down. We worked the partially cut-over pine forest above Xometla (called Aguas Escudidos)