CABLE ADDRESS - MUSEUM, CHICAGO 
Field Museum of Natural History 
ROOSEVELT ROAD AND LAKE MICHIGAN 
Chicago 
December 14, 193? 
Dear Mr. Schweinfurth: 
I wish to acknowledge receipt of your 
list of determinations of the Oosta Rican orchids, also of 
the specimens that you returned. 
Thanks in the case of such work as you have done with 
these collections always are inadequate, but I can assure 
you that your assistance and that of Professor Ames in the 
determination of these orchids is very deeply appreciated 
here. I have no doubt it will be equally appreqiated by 
Professor Erenes and Juvenal Valerio in San Jose. 
The general collections we have received from Oosta 
Rica during the past couple of years have been very exten¬ 
sive. The quality of the specimens is, unfortunately, some¬ 
what variable. Some of them are very fine, but some others 
are mediocre or worse, just why I do not know. 
Lately I have had a fine collection from Austin Smith, 
of Zarcero, Costa Rica. All the plants represented are 
trees, and all the species rare ones, with several new. I 
don't know how he might make orchid specimens, but if they 
were anything like his others, they would be superlatively 
good. Perhaps Mr. Ames might be interested in having him 
collect orchids. He is just on the other side of the valley 
opposite the slopes on which Brenes has worked, but the flora, 
as so often is the case in Costa Rica, is quite different, so 
far as the trees are concerned, Austin Smith is more or less 
a protege of Dona Amparo Zeledon, an able and delightful 
woman, who enjoys playing the role of grande dame. Austin 
Smith is, of course, well known for his bird collections, and 
I understand his specimens are about the best that have ever 
been made. That explains in part the quality of his botani¬ 
cal specimens. 
I do not wish to appear too greedy, but at this time 
I suppose it might be opportune to mention Peruvian orchids! 
A good number of parts of the Flora of Peru have now been 
issued. The orchids could be published tomorrow if they 
were ready, the volume being complete except for them, and 
the palms (for which pages have been reserved). 
ADDRESS AU. CORRESPONDENCE, PUBLICATIONS AND PACKAGES 
TO FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, CHICAGO, U. S. A. 
