Early in 1960 an unusual opportunity arose to carry on biological fieldwork in the midst of virgin rainforest in southern El Petén, Guatemala.At that time the Ohio Oil Company of Guatemala had an air strip and campat Chinajá, from which place the company was constructing a roadnorthward through the forest. In mid-February, 1960, J. Knox Jones, Jr.and I flew into El Petén to collect and study mammals, reptiles, andamphibians. While enjoying the comforts of the fine field camp atChinajá, we worked in the surrounding forest and availed ourselves ofthe opportunity to be on hand when the road crews were cutting the talltrees in the forest, thereby bringing to the ground many interestingspecimens of the arboreal fauna. We stayed at Chinajá until late March,with the exception of a week spent at Toocog, another camp of the OhioOil Company located 15 kilometers southeast of La Libertad and on theedge of the savanna. Thus, at Toocog we were able to work both in theforest and on the savanna. In the summer of 1960, John Wellmanaccompanied me to El Petén for two weeks in June and July. Most of ourtime was spent at Chinajá, but a few days were spent at Toocog and otherlocalities in south-central El Petén.
