Viewing page 81 of 130

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

^[[continued from Pisa]]

^[[There were 2 Carices]] 

79
I ever saw.  I did not collect anything but this little dry Festuca which takes up no^[[|]]room.------I could not resist entering a little marble shop near the campanile.  They have all sorts of lovely vases and boxes, as well as numberless statuettes and models of the campanile.  After having determined to buy nothing more in Europe I came out with two little vases and two [[strikethrough]] flo [[/strikethrough]] bowls for flowers.  They will be heavy to, carry, but they are so lovely, I have to turn now every few minutes and look at them.  These people have taste.  There was very little that was ornate or tawdry, as most of the things in Florence were.  Pisa is the center of the marble industry.  The city works for its living, it is not a saprophyte living on the dead like Florence.  The vases, including the luxus tax, were about $5.  I shall keep one and use the others for gifts.--------This afternoon I have been putting Mez species on those blanks I brought for use if needed.  It takes too long to hunt Mez up in the publications, even though I have pages marked.  I guess I told you I got several of Mez types in Munich.  I fear I shall never again be able to laugh at your system of numbering, for mine is getting exceedingly complex.  I numbered all ahead.  But like nomenclatorial rules there are always cases unprovided for.  (There is a mosquito bothering me.  I am all lumps from last night's mosquitoes.)---------Later.--I went out for a walk along the river to get warmed up and then had dinner.  Dinner is a slow process in Italy.  Coming back from my walk I saw on the other side a sort of built-up arm of the river and an enormous wheel up under an arch spanning it.  I found a slab that said something about its being erected by Ferdinand 3rd duke--"ducis tertia"-- for the merchants of Pisa.  Its Roman numerals were not like ours but I made it out as 1603.  It was a slip for ships to unload and the big wheel is an ancient derrick.  There are series of steps running down beside the wall to the water's edge.  It gave