I Itne#;, there has not been any attest mde to establish collections for the use 
of members, TJhat shall I do about this? 
I am bound for Boston tomorrow. I shall have time to look about the camera 
shops and 7 think I know just what you need. I am not in favor of the kodak with 
portrait Ions attachment, because the focusing is so much a matter of blind chance. 
Of course the life size portedt is the great need with the little fallows of the 
orchid realm, but it is Just among them that the clear detail of floral structure is 
important. 
It would have been such a delightful experience to become rich beyond the 
dreams of avarice as a result of Coeta Rican coffee ventures, I have thought of your 
proposal more than once since it ms nado. But I am such a timid investor. 
You ro quite right about the relationship between plant distribution and 
political boundaries. The red lino on the map has no meaning for plant life, altheug 
there are many men who depend on loss conspicuous things in limiting the definition 
of a species. The late Dr. Schlechter surely looked at the place name on the ticket 
before he attempted identification. Of course within reasonable limits this is a 
wise and very helpful thing to do, but plant distribution is a fearful revelation 
of the powers of some organisms to spread over the earth, and and to catch the 
slovenly and lazy scientist in the trap commonly called error. The Isthmus of 
Panama is’has some bad lands in the vicinity of the Zone, Poor orchid country• fJhat 
happens on the Costa Rican ride as the higher altitudes are reached you have 
discovered* The big question is, however, what is the part palyod by the Colombian 
element in the Costa Rican orchid flora? At the present time we regard the Zone 
as a barrier of a kind and *re do not f^ss much with the Colombian element aside from 
the known tropical weeds., when we attempt to identify an unknown and probably un- 
dec cribed species. 
