Description

Ridley thanks Prain for his letter, enclosing Massee's note regarding the fungus in the bamboo. Strange things occur in bamboos: a day or two ago when cutting and splitting a column, they found 23 bats inside, three adult females and 19 babies. The entrance to the internode was a split a quarter of an inch wide. Ridley is sending a box of herbarium specimens to RBG Kew: one or two packets of duplicates and a number of sheets from his herbarium of Lauraceae, chiefly for Gamble to see. Ridley would like them returned, but if there are any that the RBG Kew herbarium does not possess, a few leaves and flowers may be removed. Ridley had a run in the woods at Easter in Johore [Johor], south west point, and got, among other things, a new genus of Scitamineae, a new species of Plagiostachys and a new and beautiful Zingiber with bright yellow spikes. The indices[?] to the materials have hung fire owing to the printing press changing its building; he is vexed it is not ready to send out this mail. Ridley hopes the fungi and drawings came to hand safely; he shall be sending a box of things to RBG Kew shortly. Ridley has not much of note, but thinks Thiselton-Dyer will admire Geodorum pulchellum from Siam [Thailand]. Annotated. Pages 1 and 4 of 4.