300 
MEMOIR OF ROBERT WIGHAM. 
have a scent something like Yiolets at a distance, but very offensive 
when the plant was dried. This statement does not agree with 
Wigham’s observations. 
Norwich Nov. 29th 1853 
Dear Sir 
I was very much gratified on receiving your kind letter of the 
19th inst with the notices of your museum and for which I sincerely thank 
you. I am glad that you found the information concerning the rushes so 
interesting, and will be exceedingly proud if I can at any time be of service 
to you either in regard to information or by sending you any specimens of 
our Norfolk plants you may like to have. About seven or eight years ago 
Mr. George Sothern and I met with the Phallus iosmos on the dunes near 
Caister, plentiful in September. I have seen it there since, and also as 
far north as Hemsby and I make no doubt it will be found also near 
Winterton, & dried a few specimens at the time and meant to have sent you 
some and I observe you notice in your English Flora a want of information 
respecting it, the specimens I dried I did not think good enough to send 
I therefore determined to send you fresh specimens and went there again in 
September But I was too late the plants were all in the last stage, and 
from business requirements and indifferent health, I have not been able to 
find an opportunity since. We found there also at the same time Spharia 
punctata not on horse dung but invariably on dung of the ass. I did not 
observe that the Phallus iosmos had a smell like violets when growing and 
that it was offensive when dried It has a smell much like boiled starch 
when recent and has not the least of an offensive smell when dried, as j r ou 
will perceive by the specimens sent ; I think there must be some mistake 
about violet scented, which I apprehend ought to be violet rooted as the 
uterus which is about the size of a bantams egg is beautifully and deeply 
tinged on the underside with a violet colour, and the roots which consist 
generally of one about an inch long and sometimes one or two small ones all 
beautifully tinged with the same colour. The plant altogether is much 
smaller than the impudicus, of a darkish brown colour and generally about 
four inches high, the tallest never exceeding five inches as far as I have 
observed. I have frequently heard of your museum and should very much 
like to see it, but 1 very seldom remain all night in London, I am up by 
rail in the morning and home again at night and before we had the rail 
I was up by the coach and home the next night, however when the fine 
weather comes I will endeavour if all is well to see it. I have been very 
much gratified lately by a correspondence with Professor Walker Arnott. 
I met him last year at Belfast and this year at Hull at the meeting of the 
British Association. He is very busy with the diatomaceao at present, and 
I volunteered to send him a few specimens and I sent him a few from 
Mr. Briglitwell and also a few from a very clever friend of mine here 
Mr. Bridgman. I had a long letter yesterday from Professor Arnott with 
a few slides as samples of his way of mounting them, they are very neat 
