in the morning and k o'clock in the evening and collected a think bundle of 

 plants. However, my eyes are getting weaker and weaker and I don't like to 

 read by the light of a lamp. 



You mentioned that you wrote me a note on October 3rd and thatyou 

 received an answer on December 31nt and that you seemed to be of the opinion 

 that these letters were written in 1878 and that they were the last letters 

 we exchanged. But both letters were written in 1877 and in 1878 I received 

 a few notes from you which you enclosed in Letterman's letter dated July 12th 

 in which you did not mention any illness in your family. Not much later I 

 wrote you on August 26th, 1878, which letter you probably received end of 

 September or did it get lost? Ten cents for a letter here is enough; the reason 

 Gray f s letter did not travel as long as yours was because he wrote shortly 

 before the departure of the steamer. According to what you say, Eggert seems 

 to be full of energy and furthermore good on his feet if he can still make long 

 trips on foot after delivering the newspapers and make important collections. 

 Shaw will* probably live up to 90 t * 8 h i s father did. I have received your 

 works about Juniperus, Agave, Abies and Quercus before I left for Trinidad. 

 Newspapers and other printed matter can be sent here by mail just as to Europe, 

 but I believe it costs a little more postage. I receive regularly the weekly 

 New York Tribune and some times other printed matter. I have not found here 

 any wild growing Juniperus also no conifers. The only one I possibly might 

 still find, would be Podocarpus criacens . The orders of Rubiaceae, Melastoraaceae, 

 Leguminasae, Piperaceae and Euphorbiaceae are strongly represented. I still 

 collect as before, go on long trips, but don't find much more interesting in 

 ferns. I already have some boxes full of plants with blossoms, but have tax* 

 not put them into sets yet. On November 28th I received 108 Doll, through Gray; 

 the first profit from the sales of my ferns. A 12" long cup of a a mimosa fruit 

 serves me for some months as a hygrometer. The instrument seems to be quite 

 sensitive to humidity and always gives me a good idea of the humidity in my 

 room in which the boxes with the dried plants are sitting and shows me the right 

 time to handle them. Best greetings to Letterman. H e seems to like it in Allenton. 

 Now, fare well f I remain with best greetings, 



Always yours, 

 A. Fendler 



