are forewarned with regard to what to expect. It would "be well to send all 
material found with a generous representation in alcohol. 
I have not sent bottles as I think the type of bottle you are now 
using is admirable. I refer to the bottles that originally contained pickled 
pigs feet. They are strong, do not leak, and hold a number of flowers very 
comfortably, Gmail bottles aften get crushed in the mail. Of course, if you 
insist, I will send bottles , althoughtit seems to be to be wholly unnecessary 
Those little Oncidiums in the August 15, lot, with their queer 
yellow flowers, have given me much trouble. I cannot find tat either of them 
has been described. They suggest 0. glossomystax , but lack the hairy crest 
on the lip that characterizes that species. The smaller one , suggests the 
Costa Eiean 0. titania, but that also has a hairy crest. More material of 
these little fellows will be welcome. 
I wish you had the capacity to make rough sketches of the flowers 
of the more fleshy species and a box of crayons at hand to indicate the areas 
of colors. Sometimes I think your color notes are too general to be of value. 
This is tnue of jj 242 where you only refer to the spotted sepals and petals 
without any reference to the color of the lip. And in this group the lip 
colors are quite helpful. I do not expect you to become a botanical artist 
or anything of that sort, but a few strokes of the pencil sometimes settle 
a critical point even if made by the veriest duffer. 
Perhaps you get a flavor of criticism from my lines. But I really 
feel very well satisfied ith what you are doing and with what you have done. 
Your specimens are excellent. I have said that several times already. Your 
painstaking preparation of the material in alcohol is most commendable and 
makesmy work a pure joy. To sit down with a s»ell pressed specimen ana a 
corresponding flower in alcohol, is most satisfying to one who has been often 
obliged to reconstuct from mashed structures of dried flowers the salient 
characters on which a species rests. It is also delightful to be able to 
have drawings made from the alocohol material for publication or to amplify 
an herbarium sheet* Those fleshy Cat&setums, for example, have been beauti¬ 
fully portrayeo in pencil and the herbarium sheets are illuminating rather 
than meaningless, 
J. hope now that you will find more material of outstanding inter¬ 
est, The season must be getting more propitious, and your experience must 
be preparing you for better results in the field, home day you will find a 
rich field, and ii the plants are in flower you should make a "•killing". As 
I look over the list, I have a feeling that 300 numbers in six months is a 
bit under what one has a right to expect, I realize that you are collecting 
other things besides orchids, but a little over an orchid a day, is not 
complimentary to your region. I wish I knew how you go about your work and 
had some definite knowledge of your region from an orchidological point of 
view, hen I was in Tela 1 collected in xhree weeks about as much asyou have 
collected in five months. And Paul Standley when he collected ther and in 
Siguatepeque got a host of material in a very few months. I feel sure that 
your region must be richer than any in which I c.Sleeted, because of the 
nature of the genera and species you have already sent in, I dont want to 
do you an injustice, ami if my criticism, if such it seems to be, disturbs 
your peace of mind, I shall be sorry. 
Surely that check has arived by now and you are in funds agian. 
If not,I shall have another check sent, but what will you do in the mean¬ 
time. Are you in such a position that you cannot draw money from your northern 
bank? Are there no local banks that are trustworthy? Can you not keep a de¬ 
posit of some kind as n anchor to windward"? 
hith all good wishes. 
Sincerely ycurs. 
