Dear Pa,

I’m glad to hear Skipper is better. First news came with Ma’s postcard two days ago. It does seem that it would be pretty tough for him to go so soon, yet as you say from another point of view, it might be a good arrangement.

Both books arrived yesterday and both letters to-day. Both books and letters, especially birthday comments of the latter, much appreciated. Yes, Ma’s book looks nice, but Bradford Torrey’s book is rather remarkably appropriate. Published in 1894, it describes the country around here (St. Augustine, Daytona, etc.) from the point of view of a Yankee ornithologist who could really write, and he was here Feb.–April, very likely 1893 or fifty years ago almnost to the day. Perhaps the reason I like him so much is that he expresses so well so much that I feel when I go poking about the country, but his books are also of scientific interest being so full of accurate observations. To-day I took “A Florida Sketchbook” along on a cross-country hop (over to the region of the Swanee River, a small, meandering stream, back to Daytona, thence up to Lee—right over Cross Creek perhaps) since I was in the rear seat (going along just for the ride and to see new country—we just saw the Gulf, but it was too smoky to see the mouth of the river) and read most of a chapter along one of the duller stretches.

Weather much warmer to-day.

Love to all

T.R.

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