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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
ADDRESS REPLY TO 
CHIEF, EUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY, 
and REFEn to September 18, 1920. 
BI-S 
South America 
Dr. Alex Wetmore, 
Calle Lavalle 341, 
Buenos Aires, Argentina. 
Dear Dr. Wetmore: 
Your letter of August 5 from Formosa was received 
several days ago. The information you desired was secured 
by Mr. Ward, whose reply in part to your letter is inclosed 
herewith. This data was sent to you in July, and has probably 
already reached you. 
I am very glad to have your account of general conditions, 
and to learn that you are making good progress in your work. 
I have been interested to know what North American species of 
birds you would first encounter. You refer to the Lesser Yellow- 
legs as appearing July 31. Other arrivals have doubtless been 
noted before this. The names of some of the species of birds 
are strange to me, but the familiar ones are a reminder of my 
work in the tropics, especially your reference to such widely 
different woodpeckers as Picumnus and Oeophloeus . In Panama, 
I was much interested in the very small woodpeckers of the former 
genus, which have an amusing way of sitting on a knot or some 
conspicuous place on the bark of a tree, where they seem to think 
they are as important as the Imperial Ivory-bill. 
Your expenses may not prove to be so high as we feared, 
the total for July seems not excessive in view of the fact that, 
as you say, you traveled half way across Argentina. Your itinerary 
as outlined should give you a clear idea of the fauna of the regions 
visited, and I shall be anxious to learn what shore birds you meet 
with south of Buenos Aires. 
Your acknowledgment of your promotion will be brought to 
the attention of Dr. Nelson when he returns from Alaska. You are 
still to receive the bonus -or increased compensation as heretofore. 
I learned from the Bureau of Plant Industry that the orange 
cuttings forwarded by you were dead when they arrived. Mr. 0. F. 
Cook will be much interested in the fiber plant you mention, and will 
be on the lookout for it. If you have an opportunity, it would be 
well to make another attempt to forward orange bud wood, as they say 
that similar material has been received from Africa and from other 
distant parts of the world. It should be packed in moss or damp news- 
