September 28, 1944* 
Major General G. Ralph Meyer, 
APONo. 834, 
c/o Postmaster, 
New Orleans, La. 
Dear General Meyers 
Tour letter of September 21 is welcome, as I have wondered 
how you were getting along. My sincere wish is that your complete recovery 
may be rapid. 
Tour autograph on the picture is much appreciated and I am re¬ 
turning one of the prints herewith properly endorsed. The other will go on 
my wall as soon as I have an opportunity to have it framed. It will serve as 
a very pleasant reminder of our interesting day together. 
Dr. Morrison should be back with us soon with the rest of the 
collections. I have been doing some work on the birds that we obtained but 
it will be some time before I am able to couplete a report on them. They come 
from an area in which there have been a good many uncertainties as to the re¬ 
lationships of subspecies among the larger kinds of birds. It seems to me 
worthwhile to try to work these out as fully as I can at the present time even 
though this will mean delay in the preparation of the final account. The 
pelicans are one case in point as are also the frigate birds. At the present 
time I have the yellow-crowned nightherons spread out on the long table. 
This necessitates a survey of all of our material from the entire range of the 
bird. As I am busy administratively most of my time necessarily my scientific 
work is reduced. 
Here in Washington I spend my Sundays in the country with the 
birds making various observations, and now that migration is under way doing a 
little collecting. On the past two Sundays I have taken two specimens of the 
Philadelphia vireo which is a rare species here. Some of the migrants I have 
seen no doubt are on their way down to you. 
I am interested to learn that you are doing some more collecting. 
This is always interesting and is the only certain way to check up on 
identifications, particularly in the tropics. I have made skins all my life 
and have found it always profitable. 
I shall hope to hear from you from time to time. By all means if 
you come to Washington please let me know. With ray kindest regards, I am 
Sincerely yours. 
Acting 
