WCP3877

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Dec[embe]^r 4th. 1895

Dear Mr. Ridley¹

Thanks for your kind offer to get me some orchids. You will of course judge best what time to send them, & also what kinds, remembering that I only want small-growing kinds which are either curious or beautiful, as my space is limited. Several small plants of Cirrhopetalum Medusae² will be acceptable as they will do for exchanges. I do not fancy that Bukil[sic] Timah is very much altered as in my time it was only the tops of the hills & about one third of the way down that was forest. [2] Throughout this forest certain timber trees were being felled & cut up by Chinese lumbermen & these trees in various stages of decay, & the old logs, branches, & sawpits furnished me with most of my beetles. Clement Reid³ was here a few days back & he showed me your letter about the Caves &c I & I am sorry to hear that there is some difficulty about finding time to explore them. The curious grooved Granite rocks I remember seeing, & was inclined to think they were caused by rain trickling down in certain lines, but they want careful study. I fancy tree roots are more likely follow them than to cause them. [3] The limestone mountains where the caves are will probably be rich in orchids, & you ^will certainly find good land shells there which will be well worth collecting. I should think you would find some Aerides⁴, Phalaenopses⁵, Saccolabium⁶, and Vanda⁷, on the limestone hills, and any of these would be most acceptable. Hoping that you may make some grand discoveries in the Caves, & get good collections of plants insects & shells, —

Believe me | Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature] -

H. N. Ridley Esq. F.L.S.