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January 27, 1925.

Dr. J. C. Merriam,
President, Carnegie Institution,
Washington, D.C.

My dear Dr. Merriam:

I wish to thank you for the several separates of the brief account of my past summer's work at Tortugas.

I should like very much to continue the atudies I was so generously permitted to initiate at that time and carry them along and over into their ecologic phases as developed by those observations.  And furthermore, I am anxious to undertake certain investigations in collaboration with Dr. Longley on one or more of some of the rather fascinating problems confronting him in so far as they have a bearing on the ecology of the Crustacea.

It has long been my ambition to know and learn all I could about Crustacea, and this aim, of course, entails more than just a knowledge of their systematic aspects.  I hope o be able to become as familiar with them in the field, their like habits and behavior, as with the morphologic and taxonomic phases in the laboratory.

With this in view, I first made application for the Purdy Bacon Travelling Scholarship as far back as February, 1923.  Then the month after my application for a six weeks' stay at Tortugas was granted, I was awarded the Bacon Scholarship.  This will necessitate my going to South America for about six months, beginning sometime this coming July, and for the same period, July-December, 1926.

Under the circumstances, naturally, I hesitate to make formal application for the privilege of working at the Laboratory during the month of June next, because absence from the Museum beyond that permitted in connection with the Purdy Bacon award, may be denied me.  If however, I might be considered for a brief space as an applicant, I should appreciate it, and shall inform you at the earliest possible moment whether my leave for that month will be granted.

With my best regards to you.

Sincerely,

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