suggestion that while O. [ossii is one parent, the other 
might be O. maculatum, a Mexican species named by La 
Llave. Subsequent importations of 0. fossii have in- 
cluded a certain proportion of individuals that on flowering 
have suggested some admixture with O. maculatum, which 
is known to grow in the same district as O. Rossii. It 
seems clear now, however, that Mr. Hume’s plant was 
not the first instance of the flowering in this country of 
a natural hybrid between (0. Rossii and another species. — 
The plant figured as 0. cordatum by Paxton, which 
flowered with Mr. 8. Rucker at Wandsworth in 1847, is 
manifestly the same as the subject of our plate. This 
plant was afterwards transferred by Veitch to 0. 
maculatum, the fact that it is identical with O. aspersum 
being overlooked. The confusion of these two species 
themselves, for the plant figured as O. maculatum at 
t. 4878 is really O. cordatum, may have contributed to the 
uncertainty as to the parentage of this hybrid. That 
uncertainty has been increased by the circumstance that 
the whereabouts of Mr. Hume’s plant, if it still survives, 
is unknown, and by the fact that the material on which 
Reichenbach based his O. Humeanum has lain so long 
inaccessible in his herbarium. In any event it was 
essential, before it could be definitely decided whether 
either, and if so which of the suggestions made by 
Reichenbach be correct, that advantage be taken of 
the first suitable opportunity of effecting the necessary 
_ artificial cross-fertilisation. By a fortunate accident 
Mr. Rolfe was able to enlist the interest of Mr. F. H. 
Moore, of the Royal Infirmary, Liverpool, who in May, 
1899, had O. Rossii and O. maculatum in flower together 
in his collection. The two species were crossed by Mr. 
Moore and some hybrid seedlings were raised, one of 
which has happily survived and has been the subject of 
careful observation. At six years of age this plant, which 
had not yet flowered, passed into the care of Mr. W. H. 
Young, then in charge of the collection at Clare Lawn. 
A year later, on the death of Sir F. Wigan, it came to 
Kew, where it has since been grown with other Odonto- 
glossums, planted in a smali basket suspended near the 
roof-glass of a cool orchid house. In 1918, when nine- 
teen years old, the plant flowered for the first time, 
