If Saneg (cannot decipher p^ope^ name, L.D. ) collected f erns 

 on bis tri r> and did these.it will be very disagreable, 



to receive them, because t^ere is always the dif ficulty, to compen- 

 sate such neonle, unless, as it seems the case here,they are trying 

 to improve their collections, 



Are you aquainted with a botanist Terchemacher ; I believe, that 



he must be a dutchman, and at some time inquired fron Miquel, if he 

 the 



knew the man, but received h answer, that he lived in America, at 

 les# that he published in Boston on Nefflera (could be 



Schefflera, E«D« ). That, however, is not what I desire fron hin, 

 but the ferns, which he collected on Sumatra, and which, according 

 to what Nörten, has published about t l ^en,were found almost solely 

 on the Sanwich Islands . It would be certai ^ly desirable to know, 

 if he did Visit this Island if in an exploration he deternined the 

 locality. But, one can only talk, after one had the oplortunity to 

 examlne the plant s. 



Our newsnapers did not *rive much detail about the misf ortune 

 of the Smithonian Institute, and according to these one could sur- 

 mise that the scientific part of the collections had suffered less 

 than others, of who f se existence I had no idea. 



I hope that you and yours survived the Winter hapnily,and 

 that soon a wonderful development shall end all existing differen- 

 cesf* 



With heartiest greetings fron my wife to von. and Yours, 

 Your G. Mettenius 



(translated fron German script by Edgar Denison, Anril 19B8 ) 



