you did read French, which he writes as easily as Spanish. 
The numbers in red ink are the only ones to he taken into 
consideration. 
Brenes has some remarkable notebooks treating of 
these collections, of which he is ready to send you a copy 
if not the originals. The flowers are described with the 
most minute detail, and there are many drawings of flowers 
and their details. He did not have time, during that single 
week—four days in fact—to copy the notes. He has been 
telling people in Costa niea that he did not wish to send 
his collections abroad, since he wished to work them up 
htmsfelf. For that reason, in case there are new species 
represented, if you should be willing to describe them 
jointly with him, I am sure he would be greatly pleased. 
His notes, if you can secure them, must be exceptionally 
useful. 
As to the value to be placed upon the collection, I 
was quite unable to obtain any statement from Bon Alberto. 
He stated that he was willing to leave that to you. This, 
naturally, was most unsatisfactory to me, and I tried re¬ 
peatedly to obtain some idea of any price that he.might 
have in mind, without any success. I also questioned 
Oton, who refused to be ensnared. Bon Alberto asked me to 
explain to you the conditions under which the collection 
was made, and said that you would then be able to judge of 
what it was worth. I do not think he is holding back the 
larger collection of the past year on this.account, but 
believe he is ready to send it on at any time. 
He stated that he had received a small salary from 
the Museum, and nothing for expenses. That he was inter¬ 
ested only in his botanical work, and principally in or¬ 
chids: All of the work of collecting had been carried 
on without any encouragement other than the salary, which 
scarcely more" than paid his ordinary living expenses. 
That he was anxious to continue with this work, provided 
that he could have sufficient means for his support. 
Of course, a native of Costarica, of modest demands, can 
live there very cheaply. Oton suggested that with fifty 
or sixty dollars a month a collector could do very well 
"til"'© I*© • 
It is not possible for me, apparently, to give 
an altogether adequate statement of Bon Alberto's cir¬ 
cumstances, but perhaps I have mentioned the most import¬ 
ant points. As nearly as I could judge, he is a competent 
and intelligent man, timid and too little self assertive, 
very eager to continue his botanical work. All that he 
needs, probably, is considerate treatment and encourage¬ 
ment, something that he has not received from his asso¬ 
ciates in Costa ^ica. I do not know how to make any 
suggestions as to dealing with him, but you are competent 
to judge for yourself from such data as I have given. 
If there is any further information that I can give, I 
shall be very glad to supply it. There are probably some 
things that 1 wished to say that X have forgotten, but 
