REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 9 



The vegetation of the Zone is typical of that existing in Central America 

 at low elevations, but it is here possible to study in close proximity the floras 

 of the Atlantic and Pacific slopes, these floras being sharply difCerentiated in 

 Central America because of differences in the climates of the two watersheds. 

 The Pacific slope has well defined wet and dry seasons ; on the Atlantic slope 

 there is usually plentiful moisture throughout the year. 



Although the original vegetation of the Isthmus of Panama has been greatly 

 modified in many places because of long occupation by man, and especially 

 because of operations incident to the construction and management of the 

 canal, there remain near the canal extensive areas of virgin forest whose 

 animal and plant life is of great interest. Advantage has been taken of this 

 fact to establish recently a station for tropical scientific research on Barro 

 Colorado Island in Gatun Lake, the island having been set aside for the pur- 

 pose by the governor of the canal. Upon this island, largely as a result of 

 the energy and enthusiasm of Mr. James Zetek, there has been constructed 

 this year a laboratory building with accommodations for students, and trails 

 have been cut to make the virgin forest, which covers several hundred acres, 

 available for study. 



From Panama, Mr. Standley proceeded to Costa Rica, where he 

 spent two and one-half months in botanical exploration and col- 

 lecting. Costa Rica is, from a botanical standpoint, probably the 

 richest part of the North American continent, and in the highland 

 region, where a temperate rather than tropical climate prevails, the 

 luxuriance and variety of the vegetation is extraordinary. Of the 

 Costa Rica work, Mr. Standley reports : 



The collection consists of 8,000 numbers of plants, many of which will doubt- 

 less prove to be new. Special attention was given to the orchids, of which 

 about 1,500 numbers were obtained. These are now being studied by Mr. 

 Oakes Ames, through whose interest the work in Costa Rica was undertaken. 

 Of orchids Costa Rica possesses probably a larger number of species than 

 any other portion of the American tropics of equal extent. Over 1,000 species 

 have been reported from this small Republic, and it is certain that many 

 more await discovery. While most Costa Ricau orchids, like those of other 

 countries, have inconspicuous flowers, some, such as the Cattleyas, are of un- 

 surpassed beauty. 



Visits were made to the Volcano of Poas, celebrated for its great crater, 

 which contains a lake that erupts frequently ; to the Volcano of Turrialba, 

 whose forests are noted for their wealth of ferns ; and to many other rich 

 localities in the central highlands. 



A short visit to the comparatively arid Pacific coast proved that the flora 

 of this part of Costa Rica is relatively meager and uninteresting. Several 

 visits were made to the wet lowland forests of the Atlantic watershed, where 

 the vegetation is even more luxuriant than in the mountains and the species 

 are almost equally numerous. Little is known of the plants of the Atlantic 

 lowlands of Central America, although it is probably that no other region 

 will better reward exploration. 



AKCHEOLOGICAL EXPEDITION 'ro CHINA 



An expedition to China under the joint auspices of the Freer 

 Gallery of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and directed 



