early March. 
You ask me for an immediate reply regarding the catalogue of 
orchids® As I told you I regard such a publication as a great nec¬ 
essity and I should like vary much to co-operate with you in bringing 
it out. Just at present I do not know just how you plan to issue 
such a work, nor do I know your wishes with regard to form, etc. 
Furthermore I am not sure just how we could work on it with the 
Atlantic Ocean between us and the unsettled state of the world play¬ 
ing havoc with the mails. Another matter. How are we to make this 
catalogue a standard work if we push it- as fast as you seem anxious 
to do. For example, I was asked to get up a list of our native orchids 
north of Mexico for the American Orchis Society. I thought it would 
take me about a week to prepare the manuscript, The nomenclatorial 
difficulties I encountered were so numerous and perplexing that aside 
from doubting my ability to overcome them I despaired of finality in 
less than" one year. How, you suggest a catalogue of the orchids of the 
world. Unless you have really given this matter deep thought 1 am 
afraid that you hat's no idea of the sice of the task just from the 
nomenclatorial side. It is perfectly stupendousl If we attempted the 
catalogue alphabetically we might asign letters to each author and 
let him work out the genera and species under the specified letters. 
This would be much more simple than an attempt to reach a natural 
system. I am not thnowtog cold water on the proposition. I am sincere 
in my wish to accomplish what you have in mind. I only want you to 
realize that it appears to me to be a dreadful task, and that on top 
of all the other things we have to do to keep the orchid ball rolling. 
Anyway take this as a homecoming letter, full of the unrest that 
attends attempts to gind oneself with piles of mail, specimens and 
demands, To say nothing of the political situation and the uncer¬ 
tainties of the near future. 
With all good wishes. 
