(Wal 
Hb 
petals are light green with five to seven ; 
sharply denticulate at the margin, white with red-purple raised lines, which are 
also denticulate. The crest is semicircular, orange-yellow, with numerous red 
brown radiating ridges, each of which terminates in a spine-like tooth in front. 
As regards its cultivation very little is known, except that it grows wild in 
company with Stanhopea, and we therefore recommend that it should be grown 
under identical conditions. 
R. A. ROo.FE. 
EULOPHIELLA ELISABETHAE. 
“ The Standard ” of October 23 last has published the following letter, 
from the well-known explorer, the Rev. R. Baron : — 
“ To tan Eprror or * Tue SranparD ” 
Sir. — In The Standard of July 25 there is a translation of a letter adressed to Messrs. SANDER, 
of St. Albans, the well-known Orchid-growers, from M. Hametin, the discoverer (?) of the new 
Orchid from Madagascar, the Ewlophiella Elisabethae. As 1 have been a resident in Madagascar 
for more than twenty years, and have probably travelled more in the island than any other 
European, and have gathered many thousands of plants in the north, south, east and west, I have 
felt constrained to write to you on the subject. 
Whether to secure a high price for the Orchid, I cannot say, but certain it is that many-nay, 
most of the statements made by this gentleman are somewhat imaginary. 
The procuring of the Orchid has been surrounded by an air of mystery and danger which 
makes the story utterly incredible to anyone acquainted with Madagascar. The narrative is larded 
throughout with such phrases as the following : — * Eulophiella Elisabethae hardly exists now. 
The plant grows in a country inaccessible to Europeans. I had a special privilege accorded me to 
penetrate those regions ” etc. “ This plant only grows in a very limited region ,, (I believe he 
somewhere states a “ swamp ”)..... “on the tops of the tallest trees. ” “ Under the special care of 
_my brother in blood..... to prevent the total extinction of the species.” “ Amateurs may trust that 
no plant of this species can or will be imported.” “ Enormous difficulties and manifold dangers 
have to be surmounted before even the country where they grow can be reached.” “ I had numerous 
obstacles to overcome, and was obliged to make enormous sacrifices, and to incur fearful 
expenses, ” etc. “ An amateur paying one hundred shillings for a plant would not cover the cost. 
Not counting the constant exposure of my life, and the lives of those accompanying me — not only 
was our party exposed to the risk of being strangled by ferocious and hostile tribesmen, a fate that 
befell many a poor fellow belonging to our expedition, but we had to struggle almost nie and da. 
against the wild animals haunting these primeval forests. The most terrible of all is the ee as 
ferox Madagascariensis (sic), against which we had constantly to be on guard. During the daytime 
it is extremely dangerous, for it crouches in the forks of trees,.... and watches for its prey 
“ Big fires had to be constantly kept up, ” etc. The favorite haunt of the Protocrypta ferox ee 
wy be amongst the masses of foliage where the Eulophiella grew. Here they were numerous.” 
Appalling danger. ” “ There are also some gigantic hippopotamus and rhinoceros fossils in 
Madagascar, which I found in certain parts, and which, according to their bones, must b 1 
six times as large as our elephants. ” cig eas 
Now the truth is that no rhinoceros bones have ever been discovered in Madagascar, and the 
bones of the extinct hippopotamus indi i of 
ppop icate an animal “ of rather small dimensions. ” It is simply in 
- (To be continued on p. 24.) 
longitudinal red-brown lines. The lip is . 
W 
oer 
