13 Brown Street 
Providence, R.l 
March 9, 1934 
Bear Fernald: 
1 am inclosing for your comment and criticism seven 
prints of seven different negatives of a Ehexia seed which was taken 
from a specimen in the Brown Herbarium labeled "Khexia virginica. 
East Providence, R.l., 1868, Olney"; all magnified xlOO. Three 
other prints (X1A, aIB, X1GJ are not sent as they are not worth 
anything. 
Of course, you understand it is optically impossible to photo¬ 
graph a rounded object at this magnification and get more than a 
thin plane of it actaally in focus. 
She inclosed prints are numbered on back "xlB, xlE, etc. including 
the distinctive letters F, G, H, J, K. There is no need of returning 
any of these prints but you can refer to the distinctive letters 
in making your comments. 1 figure you may want to show these prints 
to Griscom (perhaps -londay p.m.J before writing me if any or which 
would be satisfactory. In the meantime 1. shall have the Drabas, 
ludvigias, etc. to keep me busy. 1 have made these photographs with 
crude make-shift ephemeral apparatus, if you decide t; at any of these 
will answer your purpose then i can make some of the apparatus more 
stable. 
■a. few comments, or explanatory remarks may oe of interest when 
you look over the prints. 
B is focussed for half way between margin and central upper surface 
E is focussed for marginal papillae 
f is same as E with black background 
G is focussed for surface, black background 
H is same as G, with white background 
<j is focussed for margin 
K is focussed half between margin and surface. 
Strange as it may seem J and K were taken with a pure white back¬ 
ground, but the seed was so brilliantly illuminated with focussed 
light that the background appears gray in contrast. 
The primary papillae are themselves "micro-papillate" with lens-like 
papillae which reflect the tiny spots of light that are so conspicuous 
on the primary papillae which are in sharp focus (see marginal papil¬ 
lae in F, and others in focus in G and K) 
.-ill focussing has had to be largely guess work as nothing can/J be 
seen on the ground glass except a silhouette of the margin, and that 
only by transmitted light, which has been shut off before photo 
exposure. 
i shall plan to do no more experimenting with Ehexia seeds until 
1 hear from you sometime next u-eek. 
Sincerely 
Collins 
