Departure from Mani.--Ornithology of Yucatan.--Discoveries of Doctor Cabot.--Village of Tixmeach.--Peto.--Church and Convent.--News from Home.--Don Pio Perez.--Indian Almanac.--A Fragment of Maya Manuscript.--Journey resumed.--Taihxiu.--Yaxcala.--Piste.--Arrival at Chichen.--First Sight of the Ruins.--The Hacienda.--A strange Reception.--Lodgings.--Situation of the Ruins.--Mr. Burke.--Magnificent Appearance of the Ruins.--Derivation of the Word Chichen.--Senotes.--Different from those before presented.--Mischievous Boys.--Failure of the Corn Crop. Monday, March 7. Before daylight the next morning we left Mani. Our present mode of travelling favoured Doctor Cabot's particular objects. His best chance for procuring birds was always on the road, the time passed at ruins, on account of the density of the woods and underbrush, being in a great measure lost to him. Yucatan had never before been explored ornithologically; or, to speak more correctly, the only person who had given any attention to that branch of its natural history, a German, died in the country; his collections were scattered and his notes lost. Doctor Cabot's field of operations, therefore, was, like our own entirely new; and our attention being constantly directed to the brilliant plumage of the birds and their interesting habits, they became identified with the purposes of our journey. It was my intention to obtain from Doctor Cabot, and publish in this work, a full essay on the ornithology of the country, but I find my materials so abundant and my volumes growing to such a bulk that compression has become a work of serious necessity.