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Lake. Piarro Colorado is, indeed, a ])aradi.sc. It is one's idea of 

 what the tropics should be. The lalioratory buildings set in the 

 midst of the uncleared jungle form the center of numerous trails 

 radiating out to various parts of the island. I was much inter- 

 ested in Dr. Zetek's e.\])erinients on resistance of wood to termite 

 attacks, as well as in the enormous growth of trees here preserved 

 in their primev.al luxiu'iance. Tall Eignoniaceous trees were in 

 bloom, the trunks st)metimes adorned by orchids. Now and then 

 scarlet ])assion-flowers could be seen in the undergrowth. From 

 the ol)servation tower at the center one obtained a good view of 

 the island, occupying some six s(|uare miles. On our return to 

 Frijoles, the Nounnahal was seen coming through Gatun Lake, 

 and our attempts to get on board in rough water furnished a good 

 deal of amusement to the company. At nightfall we were again in 

 the Caribbean, shifting our course this time to the west of Cuba. 

 We drojiped anchor near the ruins of Fort Jefferson, in the Dry 

 Tortugas, the westernmost of the Florida Keys, where the sandy 

 beach provided a numl)er of plants new to me. The immense 

 flocks of terns nesting on ])ird Island were fully as im]M-essive as 

 the rookeries on Tower Island. On the next day we landed at 

 Miami, and arrived in New York on the morning of May 2. 



Botanical results of the expedition are re])resented by al)out 500 

 numbers, with man}' du])licates, of flowering ])lants and ferns col- 

 lected chiefly on Indefatigable Island and Cocos, including at least 

 fifty s])ecies that have not previously been reported from these 

 islands. 



I am es]]ecially grateful to Mr. y\stor for the kindly interest he 

 showed in our collecting, in addition to his solicitation for our wel- 

 fare. J)r. Pool and Mr. I J ay were a tremendous hel]) to lue in dry- 

 ing plants aboard ship. I\lessrs. Roosevelt and Cutting made a 

 path through the jungle, without which, collecting in the interior 

 would have been im])ossil)le. Dr. Chapin's extensive knowledge 

 of tro[)ical Ijotany was a constant revelation, and my thanks are 

 especially due to Dr. Townsend, who directed the scientific work 

 and looked out for our welfare on shore. 



l\esi)ectfully submitted, 



Henry K. S yen son, 



Assistant Curator 



