283 



ticipation of the rainy season, the tree cotton (Bombacopsis Fcnd- 

 leri) was in full bloom. The purple flowers of Bignoniaceous 

 vines were also abundant. 



On returning to Panama, Hay, Chapin, and I paid a visit to the 

 biological station at Barro Colorado, in Gatun Lake. Mr. Higgins 

 of the Experimental Gardens at Summit met me for a moment or 

 two en route. I turned over to him several live specimens of 



fc--.'" 



Fig. 13. Cactus (Opii)ilia Hcllcri) at Tower Island. A distinct and 



almost spineless species. 



cactus which we had secured in the Galapagos, and he informed us 

 that some of Dr. Townsend's spineless cactus was still growing. 

 The aquatic vegetation in the ])ools along the railroad seemed 

 fascinating, but we had no opportunity to stop. The laboratory 

 launch was an hour or two late at Frijolcs, and from an impatient 

 but very false start which we had made in a dugout of Herculean 

 size, we were fortunately rescued by the launch. Disaster would 

 otherwise surely have been our lot on the rough waters of Gatun 



