255 Commonwealth Avenue 
Boston, Mass.. January -2d, 
Hy 4ear Lankest®-*: I dont know o- any sound just like It. An ear- 
splitting • Lno of a r clause. Th° kind that characterises the last meeting 
with a large class 1" Harvard University. It breaks our e oontaneously 
vlien your Lahsr b--n spoken, and Lasts,' without rc T -eeptible di¬ 
minution, until you have gathered up your lecture notes and walked from 
the lecture hall for th ; last time. It mokes you feel an uplift, until 
you reality that it marks tl - breaking of a bond that, has never been too 
strong, and means the end of a mighty delightful association. - or the 
minute you forget th - hard *"ork that has been done; the 
■ o? rt c c throw- 
ing heart and soul int > the task ir forgotten. And then, as you retrace 
your steps to the laboratory, the distressing thought comes teat perhaps 
you have failed to arouse in the young rinds you ro leaving behind, a 
true picture of the de per morn mgs of biology. The noise you have just 
heard simply means, "All right. Old Top, It is’nt your -'suit. if your sub¬ 
ject is deadly null; y u are entitled to c. rood send o l % -- and here it 
is". All of ti is gLfflj y u ms thet i through wLth class® . 11 next 
September, in th-.. meantime there will be r'~~ freedom and plenty of time 
for research among "economics" end orchids. 
Some interesting, end bar r ling specimens have just, ar 
Hacienda. Also a lev? good things from Alfaro. A report on 
issued in the course of time. 
rived from your 
these will be 
I am sorry, ddep down in my heart to learn of your decision to leave 
Costa Rica. Of course, you are entitled to the change of scene you long 
for. But it is hard for me to sink my selfish interests in true altruism. 
You have been a joy to me, in suite of your exasperating tendency %o over 
look the common species. 
It is too bad that my determinations are not more satisfactory. 
