I am floating in the air, on a flat, stiff, rectangular piece (of ?), about 15 or 20 feet from the floor. There is a moderate wind blowing, and this moves me slowly forward. Below me on the floor, or ground, is a ladder, and I call to a black man (one of the black force at the National Museum) to set this up against my (? carpet). (I am on hands and knees.) He does so, placing ladder on side as to hold the (?carpet) stationary. He also steadies ladder by bracing his foot against bottom rung. I then start to climb down, but after a step or two I decide to tumble down rest of way, as I feel sure he will be unable to hold ladder in place long enough for me to climb down. Accordingly I partially double up and fall, apparently with no fear of injury. On the ground I am offered my choice between an ax and a hatchet, the latter an old, dull, and rust encrusted specimen. I choose the hatchet and begin chopping up a very large plank (2 or 3 inches thick and about 15 inches wide). I have little difficulty in cutting up the plank, though the pieces look rather too long for use in a stove of furnace and I think they (or some of them) will need to be subdivided further. I also hack away at 8 or 10 foot high stub of a large tree. some distance from the ground is a large hollow in the trunk and around this are some insects, probably some sort of wasps (not bright colored and not very large, about size of Trypoxylon) which I watch rather closely to avoid being stung. Farber has an extensive revision of the chapter well along toward completion, and he now appears and examines the tree. His general bearing and remarks shows that he is an expert, and he points out that certain changes have taken place, particularly in regard to a small mass of gluey consistency near the cavity (on lower edge of cavity) which has now changed into an elongate piece (square in cross-section) of something about as firm as a piece of cheese. It is dirty white in color, with marmoustions.... of a grayish-green color (like marble cake). It is now disclosed that Farber, on a recent collecting trip, brought back a small piece of a plant for identification. Before handing it to a botanist, Farber tells someone what he (Farber) thinks the plant will prove to be; and later, the botanist announces that it is "caroliniana or variety" which is exactly what Farber had thought. This shows not only his extensive knowledge but also his keen reasoning power.