In the vacation I spent two days at the meetings of the Wiscon- 

 A- 



sin Acadeny of Sciences. The Sec'y "boned" me for MSS. for the vol- 

 ume of the proceedings which is about going to press and as I was 

 wanting a chance to print the keys to species of the larger genera 

 of mosses which I have hsuC in contemplat icn I said that I would under- 

 take to furnish him copy in 30 days. I have finished and sent off the 

 MSS. report on the Rftll collection. I did a "sight" of work there 

 which will yield me little return in glory. I expected that I would 

 find a considerable number of new species, but I found onle 3 new VARI- 

 ETIES! I took my chances however; New? 1 ^ putting in solid days on 

 the preparation of those keys. If you have ever dine anything of the 

 kind you will know that it is not speedy work. I have finished all 

 the genera containing over 5 species up to the genus Barbula on which 

 I worked all morning. I do not know what I shall do for Hypnum--I 

 dread it more than anything else, for it contains over 200 species and 

 there are no keys extant for the European species. These are very 

 helpful for from them I can get hints as to the distinctive points. 

 I wa:_t to get as much done as possible before college work commences 

 again as I can accomplish much more proportionately when I lav uninter- 

 rupted time in large "chunks". 



This afternoon I gave, up to calls , which I felt it was my duty 

 to make. My inclination was to continue work .but I enjoyed the calling 

 after I got at it. The day has been warm with a heavy mist. Our 

 thermometer has not yet fallen below 10° , and the lakes are open--a 



most unprecedented thing for this time of year. Yesterday I trusted 

 myself on some shore ice,about an inch and a half thick, but did not 



