UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
July 23,1912 
iJr. Alex V/etmore 
San Juan, Poi'to Rico 
Dear lir. Wetraore: 
I have your letter of July 14th and note v/hat you say in 
regard to the cessation of the plague. I have never had any 
doubt that eventually the authorities v/ould get control of the 
disease, but the very name is enoug^i to create a panic among 
ignorant people v/ho know little of its nature. 
You have done an excellent piece of work in Porto Rico and 
I see no reason why you should not finish up matters so as to 
leave there early in September, or, as you state, by the middle 
of the month at the latest. The examination of stomachs and the 
preparation of all the data you have collected will require con- 
siderable time, and it cannot very well be done except here in 
Washington. 
I quite agree that you have obtained such a large percent- 
age of the Island birds that you can hope for very few additions, 
and these are not of sufficient moment to justify the expenditure 
of the time and money required. 
I think I asked you in one of my earlier letters to collect 
some specimens of the mongoose in order that we mi^t be sure 
of the species inhabiting Porto Rico, and I do not now recall 
having seen any skins that were sent in by you. If you have not 
hitherto secured specimens, please do so before you return. Two 
