SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 
UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
Balboa, Canal Bono, January 10, 1924. 
Hr. Oakes Ames, 
Boston, Massachusetts. 
Dear Hr. Ames: 
Your letter with, regard to the 3rene3 collection of Costa 
Hican orchids was received "by one of the recent ooats. I Siiall he very 
glad indeed to look up Hr. Brenes while I am in San Jose, and take every 
step toward securing the collection for you. 
Schlechter’s paper upon Costa hican orchi s i3 certainly a remark¬ 
able one, and I was sorry to see that so large an amount ox material had 
fallen into his hands. It must complicate enormously your own work upon 
the -roup. 7/hen I get up there, I hope that it nay be possible for me 
to collect something that will help toward an understadding of the 
orchid flora of that country, and I am 1 oking forward with, a great deal 
of pleasure to the visit. Just now, I understand, the railroad up uC^ 
the Capital is out of comission, on account of heavy rains, but I expect 
to be leaving Panama in a couple of weeks. 
Work here has been far more satisfactory than I had anticipated. 
Hie flora is very rich, although* somewhat ordinary, and facilities for 
transportation are exceptionally good. She season likewise is a good 
one, neither too wet nor too dry. At the present time I have collected 
5300 numbers, a record for 46 days that I shall probably have difficulty 
in equaling upon another • 
As far a 3 orchids are concerened, results have not bee:, so favor¬ 
able, but I have gotten all that I could. There seem to be very few of 
then in flower, but I suspect that that would be true at any other sea¬ 
son. There are a few species that are abundant here, and that can be 
Co. lected repeatedly, but to get any great variety is difficult. 
Hearly all that I have gotten, Mr. Powell lias been able to name offhand, 
and he states that they are common, but from the names, I am curious to 
see how many of then are represented in our herbarium. I dare say they 
are common in his garden, but I doubt that they are noticeaolp plentiful 
in any herbarium anywhere. 
I have been spending a great deal of time at Mr. Powell's and have 
found him most helpful in the work, and a delightful man to be with. 
Orchids are the only thing in which he takes any interest, and I do not 
believe they are ever out of his mind. A great many people are said to 
be mildly insane regarding certain subjects, and in his case it is not 
difficult to see the suject of his affection. There certainly could, 
be no one more devoted to any one particular subject, and I think he is 
doing everything that he can toward getting orchids from Panama. Of 
course, he is what might be described as ’’set" in his methods, and it 
is hard to get him to accept any swggestions, although I think he uould 
like any that y/ould improve his efficiency. I can see some methods 
by v/hich such an improvement might be made, but I can not see that any 
suggestions I may have made are likely to have much effect. Naturally, 
a man of his age does not change his habits easily. Hie men who are 
