ciated with other Epiphytes of this vast and variable family, from 

 Equinoctial America and the West India Islands, desiring a humid air 

 ^vith wai-mth to luxuriate in, amongst whom the Australians soon 

 shewed sickness, in consequence of the excess of moisture to which 

 they were constantly subjected ; and eventually dying, were not only 

 lost to Kew, but I may add to Europe ! Had they been placed in the 

 dry stove among Cacti, Stapeliai, &c. with but an occasional light 

 sprinkle of water aiforded them, they would have fared better! 

 D. eemulum was, I find, notwithstanding, induced to flower, and thus 

 shewed by its delicate blossoms that it was well worthy of better 

 treatment : and might afterwards have been retained, had the notes 

 communicated with the plant from the Colony, and its look and con- 

 stitution, so to speak, been at all consulted. I would just observe, 

 in this place, that it is to be greatly regretted, that collectors of 

 these beautiful vegetables in foreign countries, are not more care- 

 ful to note and communicate home with the collections they form, 

 the particular localities of the species, which would be of great use 

 to the experienced cultivator ; inasmuch as it would enable him to 

 treat them in a way, as neai'ly accordant with their habits in their 

 respective native countries, as would secure their lives in the Garden, 

 and probably induce them to flower when fully established in their 

 new situations." 



To these instances of Orchideous Epiphytes may be added two 

 others, which are worthy of still more attention than those just cited. 

 One is the beautiful little Gunnia australis, which has much the aspect 

 of Chiloschista usneoides found in the jungle of Nipal ; it grows on 

 the branches of shrubs in Emu Bay, in Van Diemen's Land, in 

 about41'' S. Lat. and 146° E. Long. Earina mucronata is the other exam- 

 ple. This plant, although occurring as far to the Northward as 35° S, 

 Lat. in humid forests at the Bay of Islands, in New Zealand, exists also 

 in abundance in the " very (permanently) damp woods which clothe 

 the shores of Dusky Bay, (Lat. 45° 45' S.) on the western side of the 

 Larger or Middle Island of New Zealand," where it was originally 

 observed by Forster, in Cook's Second Voyage, and where it has been 

 since met with by Mr. Cunningham, whose words we have quoted. 



Considering the lower rate of temperature which prevails in 

 the Southern hemisphere, as compared with that of the Northern 

 in corresponding latitudes, the station of Earina in New Zealand 

 is not naturally different from the damper parts of the south-west 

 coast of Ireland. 



These remarks will we trust suffice to cause a greater degree of 

 attention to be paid to the differences of constitution of particular 

 species of Orchideous Epiphytes ; for although we have only cited 

 extreme cases, we may be assured that minor peculiarities, which it 

 is not less important to study, exist in abundance. 



One of the plants just mentioned being imperfectly known to 

 Botanists, and the other not at all, we sul3Join the following brief 

 account of them for the use of our systematic friends, 



II 2 



