162 ABOUT ORCHIDS. 
King.” This superb species has only flowered 
once in Europe as yet; Baron Ferdinand Roth- 
schild is the happy man. Its snow-white blooms, 
six on a spike generally, each three inches across, 
have very dark brown stripes on the lip. It was 
discovered in Borneo by Mr. Forstermann, the 
same collector who happed upon the wondrous 
scarlet Dendrobe, mentioned in a former chapter. 
There I stated that Baron Schroeder had three 
pieces; this was a mistake unfortunately. Mr. 
Forstermann only secured three, of which two died 
on the journey. Baron Schroeder bought the 
third, but it has perished. No more can be found 
as yet. 
Of Oncidiums there are many that demand 
stove treatment. The story of Onc. splendidum is 
curious. It first turned up in France some thirty 
years ago. A ship’s captain sailing from St. 
Lazare brought half a dozen pieces, which he 
gave to his “owner,’ M. Herman. The latter 
handed them to MM. Thibaut and Ketteler, of 
Sceaux, who split them up and distributed them. 
Two of the original plants found their way to 
England, and they also appear to have been cut 
up. A legend of the King Street Auction Room 
recalls how perfervid competitors ran up a bit of 
Onc. splendidum, that had only one leaf, to thirty 
