Jan. 30. 145 problem by erecting a tax wall to outside products and thus encourages her people to buy inferior products. The export market is poor because she can't compete. I asked Dr. Karim about the status of taxonomic biology in the country. He estimates that one 1/3 of the higher plants remained to be described. He thinks there must be 15,000 species of which only 8000 have been described. He has travelled widely over the country on botanical research. He thinks only 1/2 of the insects and 4/5 of the vertebrates have been described. Fresh water algae are virtually unknown. Marine algae are being studied first. Jorge Papepufas has visited in the country and been a stimulus to this work. Zoologists and botanists in the country exist in "parts per million". In 22yrs. Amphioxus has been known from ff the delta in the Gulf of Siam. Not until 1959-60 were 3 new species described. Natural history now being studied. We learned that a 3hr. drive to NE would take us to an unploughed wild area that still has a few elephants but they are difficult to see. The place is Kaengai. To the SE are a number of seasonal sites of interest - Cholburi (90 kms.), [illegible] Sriraja (120 kms.), Patya (145 kms.), Sattahib (180 kms.). I learned the main river near Bangkok is formed by the Chaophraya and Tachin river.