I 
January 2 , 1943 
Mr. C. H. Lankoator 
Las Concavas 
Cartago, G osta Rica 
D^ar Mr. Larikesterj 
I was very glad to have your letter of the 20th of December, and 
to know that you are getting along quite famously. 
x 'he Sobralia will probably be some time in coming up by ordinary 
mall, nd I may not see It fcjjftjny assistant or one of the other 
men in the museum will take psjfe of the matter for you. 
I am leaving for Bahia abo t the 23rd of this month, and will be 
own there for the duration of the,,.war. .his, I think explains 
the reason that I shall not be ab§J| to attend to your plant w en 
it arrives. 
I don’t know yet tow I will go South, but probably I will not pass 
through Costa Rica. If, however, it does prove that I shall be 
there overnight or something of that matter I shall sent you a 
cable as to the probably time of my arrival. I think that it is 
most probable however tii ;; I will go from l-iaaa straight across 
the Carribean* 
I have just been having a go at the s obralias for the Flora of 
Panama and I must say that they are by ; 11 odds the toughest 
genus, for a small one, in the flora. It would not be so bad if 
friend Reichenback had kept his hands off of them* 
I am 'lad that the ore id Bulletin has finally gotten throu^j:"' 
and that you found sowet: inr in it of interest. I think prSffc'bly 
my acsistan|||.here will take over durin^ ny absence unless he is 
taken into the Army which is not too remote a possibility. 
Rolf©, as you say, was certainly a fine man, aneRUad a very good 
grasp of artteultural orchids as well as others*! It is too bad 
that he did not live to see some of the f ine t hing's that have 
appeared ithin recent years. As I understand from Professor Ames 
Rolf© was not gi on his free hand as he might have been at Kew, and 
perhaps would have been able to do a great' deal more had he been. 
