Dear Sir

This Evening, by Rail, I send you two or three very bad Lizard Blooms—² A few days ago the leaves of the forward Lizards got horribly bitten by snails & slugs, almost killed by them— The scent of Lizard seems to attract them— Did I, or did I not, ever send to you the dried stem of my immense Lizard of 1860—? It is a real wonder—³

These wretched blooms, sent this day, are from the very same plant—

—In a few more days I will send you half a dozen more—& (I hope) some “Arachnites” also⁴

I enclose, with the Lizard, a very pretty, rather sparse specimen, of of “Conopsea albida—”⁵

Later in the Summer, I will send good spikes of

Epipactis latifolia

—— purpurata

—— palustris⁶

Do you care to have “Epipactis grandiflora”—which is so very common? Do not trouble yourself about the “Bog-Orchis”— My recollection of him has returned completely—& I feel pretty sure of finding him—⁷

—Here, in our benighted state, we do not call that brown Orchid, which I sent you the other day, the “Birds nest Orchis”— That which we do call “Nidus Avis” is nearly ⁠⟨⁠of⁠⟩⁠ the same colour, but a much larger, stronger, ⁠⟨⁠mo⁠⟩⁠re warlike Plant, parasitic upon decayed ⁠⟨⁠Ha⁠⟩⁠zel Roots—⁸

—At this very time of writing, I could shew to any one 200 O. apifera, in full bloom—

With most kind regards | G. C. Oxenden