99 
usually picked close to the root, as in the accompanying illustra- 
tion 
Evizanetu G. Britton. 
CACTUS STUDIES IN THE WEST INDIES 
To THE Screntiric DrrEcTORS. 
Gentlemen: Pursuant to permission given by you, I was absent 
from the Garden for the period between January 25 and April 17, 
1913, engaged in further studies of the West Indian flora, with 
special reference to the cacti, in continuation of our codperation 
in the cactus researches of the Carnegie Institution of Washing- 
ton. It has become necessary, in the progress of these investiga- 
tions, that a more complete and accurate knowledge of the West 
Indian cacti be obtained, and my own studies of the general 
flora of the West Indies required further field work. 
he expedition was organized jointly with Dr. J. N. Rose, 
research associate of the Carnegie Institution, and after con- 
sultation with Dr. D. T. MacDougal, its director of botanical 
research. Dr. J. A. Shafer accompanied me as a field assistant; 
Mrs. Britton and Miss Delia W. Marble were also in the party 
and rendered valuable assistance in collecting, preserving and 
recording specimens; Dr. Rose was aided by Mr. William R. 
Fitch, and ce by Mr. Paul G. Fae of the staff of the United 
States National Museum 
Our first stop was at St, Thomas, a the Danish Islands, which 
we reached on the steamer “Guiana”’ on January 31. Dr. Rose 
and his assistants proceeded south on the “Guiana” to the 
British Island Antigua, where important collections were made 
y them, the plants of Antigua being but poorly represented in 
American museums; they also made studies and collections on 
St. Kitts and St. Croix, rejoining our party on St. Thomas on 
February 25, bringing with them living specimens of all the cacti 
found, together with other kinds of living plants, and many 
useum and herbarium specimens. 
We made St. Thomas a base for the botanical exploration of 
