230 THE WOODLANDS ORCHIDS 



divert admiring friends, expressed with quaint vehemence, 

 but always suggesting that he mocked himself the while. 

 Never had he such a theme as this. Speaking with due 

 thought and sufficient knowledge, I declare that Odonto- 

 glossum Harryanum is the most finished result of Nature's 

 efforts to produce a flower which should startle and impress 

 by its colours alone, without eccentricity of shape or giant 

 size, or peculiarities of structure. Remembering that not 

 all the world has seen this flower, I should give just a hint 

 of the means employed. Fancy, then, eight or ten great 

 blooms, dark chestnut in tone, barred with yellow, striped 

 with mauve ; the lip white, broadly edged with a network ot 

 bluish purple and intersected by a deep stain of that tint, 

 beyond which is spread a sheet of snow ; touch with gold 

 here and there, and you have the ' scheme of colour.' Those 

 who knew the great savant can imagine how he raved after 

 giving, with luminous precision, his scientific report of the 

 new orchid. 



Reichenbach persuaded himself, by study of the flower, 

 that it must be a native of Mexico. He was wrong for 

 once, but people were so used to regard him as infallible 

 that Mr. Sander did not think of doubting the assertion. 

 Presently, however, it became known that Messrs. Veitch 

 had bought the plants, a dozen or so, from Messrs. 

 Horsman. And then Mr. Sander learned by accident that 

 the latter firm received a small case of orchids from Barran- 

 quilla, twelve months before. While pondering this news, 

 Roezl's unforgotten prophecy flashed into his mind. Barran- 

 quilla, in the United States of Columbia, is the port of that 

 district where Odontoglossum vexillarium is found ! He 

 had a collector not far away. Within an hour this gentle- 

 man, Mr. Kerbach, received a telegram short and im- 

 perative : ' Go Amalfi.' Not waiting an explanation Kerbach 

 replied ' Gone ! ' — reached Amalfi in due course, and found 



