August 1st, 1927 . 
tty dear Lankester? 
Your good letter of tho 17th July has Just come in. 1 wish 
I had the power to put into one sentence all the shades of moaning your remarks 
suggest. It. would bo such a pleasant thing to do if one could simply v-rite tho 
reply to a letter as the sentences are read and the thoughts they call up are 
fresh .uid crisp. After reading what you have written to m 7 find that ay reply 
ooipes off tho machine haltingly, although I an sure that ny iivsed'ate relations 
if they could have bean caught on the sing would have been of more value to you 
both as j would ao like to run on at confidential 
length about dear friend Powell txml Me brave attempts at scientific accuracy* 
If I could have been at his elbow in the early days of Ids correspondence with 
Schlaohter, I could have caved the world from a burden of confusion. Alter all is 
auid an done I bow rty head in roveronvo before I-owoll. He performed veil under 
unknown liaitaJrionB. ITo simply lacked that training in exactitude which is the 
fundamental necessity of research. Last winter 1 worked on t. tourist's flora of 
Ccaial Zone, , doing the orchid port for Standiey. This flora has not appeared 
yet, but you will be improved by tho synonymy carrying Schlechter’s name, “hen 
I settled down to the tank of reaching the bottom of what 1 had come to realise was 
a mec,, I spared nothing in the way of study and critical comparisons in my egfort 
to to get at the truth. I may have gone off the track in places, but by and Ifrng 
I think X s&ide a contribution to the knowledge of the Orchids of the Canal Zone. 
Some of my conclusions my disappoint Powell, but from ay talks with him I know 
that he is mrts interested in tae truth than in the upholding of error. 
* shall be at eiy witBs ends to know what to do with the 
painting of Sobralia leusexsnth&i Cur Orchid Society has no rooms and So far as 
