as complete as possible. However, I have sufficient data 
already to make the flora reasonably comprehensive. Mr. 
Coville, the last time I talked with him upon the subject, 
seemed to doubt whether the Department of Agriculture 
would be able to finance a trip to the lone this year, 
and I do not care to use personal funds for such a trip— 
to the Zone--nor do I care to ask them from outside sources, 
since that is about the least productive and interesting 
part of Central America. In case I do go to the Zone, 
i shall try to make a trip also to Bocas del Toro, as 
I believe I have already written you. 
If the Department will not bear the expenses of the 
Zone trip, I think I shall try to go to Honduras, from which 
cotintry we have nothing worth mentioning. I am sure the 
United ^ruit Company will be as generous as always there, 
and the small amount necessary for the trip it will be 
easy to secure. 
I should like very much to make a trip to the Alta 
Verapaz region of Guatemala. 1 suppose that next to Costa 
Rica that is the richest part of Central America, and there 
must be lots of good plants still awaiting discovery. I 
certainly wish to go there within the next few years. The 
only difficulty is that the region is not too accessible, 
and I do not have any acquaintances there, although I think 
it would be possible to establish connections of some sort. 
Most of the planters over there are Germans and I do not 
know exactly how to get in touch with them, although I 
have no doubt they would do everything they could if I had 
the proper letters to them. 
Nothing would please me better than to go back to Costa 
Rica again. The only Costa Rican plants I have worked up 
so far, of my collection, are the RtMaceae, and I found 
a lot of very distinct new things among them--about eight 
new Psychotrias, and half a dozen Hoffmannias. Also I 
got a lot of material of a plant common everywhere in the 
mountain forests. I did not recognize it in the field, 
nor here either:, until it turned out to be a genus described 
by Oersted. Only the original specimen was known, and the 
genus had always been held.a doubtful one—that seems rather 
amusing after getting acquainted with the plant. How all 
the other collectors could have missed it I do not know, 
since it is a plant about three feet high with large 
clusters of bright red flowers 1 
As far as orchids are concerned, there are only two 
places that are likely to give much in the way of returns, 
Costa Rica and the mountains of Guatemala. How anxious 
you are to obtain more orchids from those regions I do 
not know; yes, I do know that you are anxious to obtain 
them, but whether there is any urgency in the matter, is 
the question. If there is, I should be glad to consider 
going to Costa Rica or Guatemala this year, if you think 
it desirable. Otherwise I shall try to get to Honduras, 
if the Panama trip does not materialize, and if the revo¬ 
lutionists are not too rampant next winter. 
Prof. Record offered me money for a trip to British 
