S50408- 155

ah
maps are aqtually impaeoible to ordinery motor vehicle.

Your ear, inpddition to being equipped with naw tires,
should heve a good set of tire shains. The paved roade are
exeellent and standard in avery way except one~-damaging ehuch+
holes, some s foot beep, ere left unmarked. Driving these road@
requires constant vigilance and a keen eye for such death trapa.
The one thing that remains vividly in my wind ia the prscariousness
of the secondary roada end the lack of places ta pull off the
rosd to eamp. The price of gaa aud oil verieescaceording to the
distanee from centers of diatribution. I paid from 40¢ to 90¢
per gallon for gues

The enelosed map shows areas (red dota) I was bble suecess~
fully to reach by car. Many other areas are alac seceasible
by roads. The Pacific lowlands can be resehsd by exesllent paved
rosda in any season but eleewhere in the lowlands the roads are
dimpeesible in the rainy season. The northern gountry of Peten
oan be yeached only by plane.

- Guatemale 48 auch @ fantastie socuntry thet 4 aould not
specify one part of it as being more interesting oF profiteble for
investigation. Nor is there one area that sould be considered
as wore important for gollesting then elsewhere. There sre un-
Limited probleus for biologicel research, severel of which cone
to mind--and to mention only a faw of them: weriation of fauna
and flore of the ‘smones of the geographiselly separated
voleence snd high mountaing; tracing the southern extension of -
the lower semi-desert life-zone through Gustemelea and likewise
the northern extension of the tropicel elements from the southy
sonducting @ generel survey of Peten; study of bate in general.

Of the individual species of mammale I would sey that the taxonony
and geographical distribution of the gephera of Gustemala would
constitute a problem high on the agende of importent researeh -

to be done. Im fact, there is not a aingle species thet could.

not be etudies profitably from either the taxonomic or evologis
@pproach. Ornithological-wise there remeing much to be investigated.
In boteny the suceessionsl studies of sress used and abandoned

by natives ie important. Prof. Stewart of the University of
Wichigan has been worling methodically for meny years with herpa

but still there ie such to be dons. -

1 Of the archeological sites thet I visited--Zaculeu, Bansnera,
Tékal andUexagtun are noteable, I would suggeet seeing Zaculeu
because of ite accessibility and because of its eonple reconstruct-
fon. The United Fruit Company, because of ite Middle American
aasociation, restored this example. of Maye civilisation and is
only one of seseries of cultural projeete thet they have. undar-
taken, This company eould give you certain logisvie support. .
Start your archeological expleration by first sontecting the
Guatemalan Institute of Archeology end History im Guetetala City.
Your ercheologiet should establish his headquerters there, And
while you are in the eity, and before you begin your field work, |
be sure to see the relief model of Guatemala which is located in
the northern sector ef the aity.

If these generalities on the problems of field work in
Guatemala have perehanse evoked specific gestions I will be glad

to anewer them in detail. ee
es Absa h-
Sincerely yours, Weer. Mah #