CABLE ADDRESS - MUSEUM, CHICAGO 
Field Museum of Natural History 
ROOSEVELT ROAD AND LAKE MICHIGAN 
Chicago 
April 30, 1934. 
Dear Mr. Ames: 
Manuel Valerio, the present director of the 
national Museum in Costa Rica, has been trying for some time 
to get me to prepare a flora of Costa Rica, to be published 
by the Costa Rican government. Ke states that the manuscript 
can be printed promptly if I will prepare it. 
I have finally begun work upon it, my intention being to 
publish a list of species, with localities or local ranges, 
giving literature citations for the species first described 
from the country. What I have planned to do is to list the 
plants preceding the orchids, and send the manuscript to him 
for publication as the first part of the flora. I am curious 
to see how prompt publication will be, and what form it may 
take. There is no reason why, with the facilities available in 
Costa Rica, the printing should not be done moderately well. 
Now, I am writing to ask whether you would consider pre¬ 
paring in the rsSher near future such a list of the orchids. 
I should not start it until we see what happens with the first 
part of the flora, for I am all too familiar with the nature of 
some Central American promises—some of my own have not been 
better, perhaps. 
If you are inclined to look favorably upon the project, 
I will send you later a sample to indicate the general style. 
I shall also inform you regarding the progress of my own first 
part. It so happens that I have notes and manuscript from 
which this first part can be prepared with little trouble. 
In order to complete the later parts of the list I should 
have to visit Washington. 
The list is to be published in Spanish, but the trans¬ 
lation can be provided for. I have not planned to include any 
keys to genera or species. 
ADDRESS ALL CORRESPONDENCE, PUBLICATIONS AND PACKAGES 
TO FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, CHICAGO, U. S. A. 
