.—.0 Mr. J. E. Bicuzno’s Observations 
information Gerard communicated of the Ornithophora candida, 
165, or Butterfly Orchis; but the figure is Orchis fusca: and 
there is little doubt but that this was intended, since Johnson 
corrects the synonym in his edition, and complains greatly of the 
transposition of the figures in the chapter in which this plant 
stands. Caspar Bauhine, too, refers to this icon, excluding the 
synonym, under his Cynosorchis militaris major, which is unques- 
tionably our present plant. Johnson's Orchis Strateumatica, p. 215, 
is an improved figure, and is copied in Parkinson's Theatrum 
Botanicum, p. 1344. no. 6. The description of the flower is signifi- 
cant enough, being like the * body of a man with his hands and 
legs cutoff." Dillenius is the next author who takes notice of it as 
an English plant (for Ray does not seem to have been acquainted 
with its being indigenous) ; and though his figure in the Synopsis 
is stiff and bad, his description is appropriate— Galea obtusa 
atro-rubens minusque surrecta, qua nota a precedente (O. tephro- 
santhos) distinguitur." Vaillant, who understood the Orchidee 
better than any of his predecessors, has given an excellent draw- 
ing of the flowers of this and others nearly allied to it; but it is 
curious that he should attribute to its flowers an insupportable 
smell of the goat, while Curtis says they have a strong smell, 
somewhat like, but not so pleasant as, Anthoxanthum. Blackstone 
is the last English author of the old school, who seems to have been 
acquainted with it, having found it plentifully “in the old chalk- 
pit near the paper-mill at Harefield." Since his time it has been 
gathered frequently in the fine chalky districts of Kent and Middle- 
sex; but we do not know that it is found beyond these counties. 
Haller in his Hist. 4. 31, and Curtis Flor, Lond. fasc. 6. t. 04. have 
given superb figures of it. 
This Orchis surpasses all its English congeners in size and gran- 
deur, and may be known by the lip of the nectary being divided 
into three segments, the two lateral ones being linear, and the 
middle 
