Three times I was at lankester's, a delightful place 
at which to be. He has some handsome orchids now, and new 
ones coming on all the time. If he would only devote him¬ 
self seriously to orchids, and leave along the butterflies 
and some other things, he could do wonders. It is wonderful 
to see the number of orchids that he has discovered on his 
finca, which I consider about as poor a place for them as 
any locality that I know in Costa Rica. He does know the 
orchids, at least some of them, but I know that he passes 
up a good many things that do not interest him, or that he 
takes to be common species. Th^y are common species where 
he knows them, but they may not be so plentiful in herbaria. 
Hon Anastasio is as fine as ever. There is no one in 
Central America that I like better, or in whom I have more 
trust. He has quite a collection of living plants at his 
home. He has little room for them as a matter of fact, 
but when +he plants bloom he usually gives them away to his 
friends, after making specimens, and brings in new plants 
for cultivation. He was greatly pleased with your list of 
determinations. I hope you may have gotten some new species 
out of his sendings. The people down there esteem very 
highly species that are named after them, and that is about 
the only reward they get out of their work of collecting 
plants. 
I spent about two hours one day talking to Alberto 
Brenes. He is a difficult problem, and l do not know 
whether it is worth while bothering with him or not. He 
has promised to send me some of his collections of other 
groups, but i do not know whether anything will come of it 
or not. When Schleehter died, Hon Alberto wrote to Berlin 
and asked them to return his unnamed orchids, but they wrote 
stating that another man was to take up Sehleehter's work, 
and that he would send him the determinations. I do not 
remember who the man is, but probably you know of him. 
Presumably you know that Hon Alberto has not cashed the 
check you sent him. He tells me now that since he is paid 
for his work as botanist of the Museum in San Jose, it would 
be improper for him to receive any other remuneration. That 
is quite different from what he told me when I was there 
before, for then he was very anxious to obtain the money. 
Alfaro told him that if he did not wish to receive the 
money personally, he should cash the check and use the money 
for his field expenses. I have very little patience with 
Brenes. He must have some good qualities, but it is dif¬ 
ficult to discover what they are. The other scientists 
in Costa Rica are always ready to take his part, although 
admitting his eccentricities--a very mild term for them— 
but they certainly do endure a lot from him. 
Hon Alberto told me this time that he was quite willing 
to continue sending orchids here if he could receive only 
determinations for them. I do not think I shall bother much 
with him myself. Ag a matter of fact, he does not collect 
a very large amount of material. He does absolutely nothing 
else except work with plants, yet I doubt that in the course 
