6 all very colorful, most in bloom. Usually a small lawn in center. A great many introduced shade trees from various north temperate regions. Street wide with many narrow lanes leading off having 2-4 houses on them. Occasional small low apart- ment houses. Climate mild, snow very rare. Rainfall about 25 inches so gardens have to be watered much of the year, apparently in rain shadow as mountains of west coast have 200 inches of Canterbury. The University is downtown growing crowded. Planning a new campus on outskirts of city but construction not started. Buildings late Victorian gothic of dark gray stone with white trim, many small temporary wooden buildings behind main buildings. A good botanical garden nearby. University has small teaching herbarium. Principal herbarium in the vicinity is at Science Research Institute at Lincoln 15? miles out. The university maintains a small biological station at Cass for the study of alpine ecology. No lichenologist but several interested in connection with ecological studies.