32 ABOUT ORCHIDS. 
leading orchid-growers of the world were present, 
and almost all had their gardeners or agents there. 
Such success called rivals into the field, but New 
Guinea is a perilous land to explore. Only last 
week we heard that Mr. White, of Winchmore Hill, 
has perished in the search for Dendrobtum ph. 
Schroederitanum. 
I mentioned the great sale of Cyp. Curtzsz 
justnow. An odd little story attaches to it. Mr. 
Curtis, now Director of the Botanic Gardens, 
Penang, sent this plant home from Sumatra 
when travelling for Messrs. Veitch, in 1882. The 
consignment was small, no more followed, and 
Cyp. Curtist became a prize. Its habitat was un- 
known. Mr. Sander instructed his collector to 
look for it. Five years the search lasted—with 
many intermissions, of course, and many a success 
in discovering other fine things. But Mr. Ericks- 
son despaired at last. In one of his expeditions 
to Sumatra he climbed a mountain—it has been 
observed before that one must not ask details of 
locality when collecting orchid legends. So well 
known is this mountain, however, that the 
Government, Dutch I presume, has built a shelter 
for travellers upon it. There Mr. Ericksson put 
up for the night. Several Europeans had in- 
scribed their names upon the wall, with reflections 
