general region as La Palma, but really a part of the Vol¬ 
cano of Barba. That is where we got the greatest quantity 
of orchids. The trees are all loaded with them, and in 
great variety. If you could only visit a locality like 
that once a month for a year, it would be possible to make 
a rich haul. 
The labels for the collection i had printed while in 
San Jose—printing there costs about a third what it does 
in the States, and the work is just as good. Of course, I 
found a good deal of work waiting for me here when l returned, 
but I am getting it out of the way. I hope that it will 
not be long before 1 can go over the lot and take out the 
orchids to send you. You can then judge for yourself of 
what 1 have gotten this year. I hope the collection may 
be richer in new species than was the one of two years ago, 
but perhaps we are getting toward the end of good new species 
of Costa Rican orchids. To hear Brenes talk, one would 
believe there were as many new ones there as ever, but I 
suspect he has a Schleehterian idea of what constitutes a 
species. 
The first important piece of work that I have to take 
up is the completion of the flora of the Canal Zone. The 
manuscript is already practically complete, but I have to 
write the introduction, and write up one or two groups that 
I have tried, unsuccessfully, to have done elsewhere. 
You will remember that you were kind enough to offer to 
furnish the orchid part for this volume, and if you can let 
me have the manuscript about the first of July, I should 
appreciate it very much. I trust the Zone orchids are.not 
very numerous, but I can understand the diffiduly you will 
have in separating them. This subject, however, we have 
discusses previously. 
While in Costa Rica this year I assumed one more project. 
The scientific people there are anxious that I prepare for 
publication a list of the plants of Costa Rica, similar to 
the list of Salvadorean plants by Dr. Calderon and myself. 
It will be a check list only, without keys, but preferably 
with localities for the rarer plants, and with altitudes, 
etc. If you can prepare such a list of the Costa Rican 
orchids within the next year or so, I should like greatly to 
have it for publication. Of course, it is understodd that 
this list will not be a final one, and it may be necessary 
to make the treatment more or less conventional in some 
cases, listing perhaps the species described from Costa 
Rica, and leaving their final status to await more careful 
monographic work. 
It is expected that the list will be published in Spanish 
in San Jose, and probably at the expense of the Costa Rican 
government. It may be peeeifeai.y to obtain some outside 
assistance in its publication, but 1 feel sure that this 
can be managed. 
I had a very agreeable visit with Mr. Powell for three 
weeks in Panama. I shall not write more about this at present 
for it is possible that you may have seen him upon your trip. 
