sported ; tliere are also, at least, twenty plants of Monachan- 

 thus discolor, which keep true. Mr. Hillhouse (a gentleman 

 residing in Demerara), has informed the Duke of Devonshire 

 that a flower spike of Catasetum often has on it several dis- 

 tinct kinds of flowers." 



To make the reader more distinctly aware of the changes 

 that the flowers of this specimen exhibit, I will describe one 

 of those of the species in its ordinary state. 



It has narrow, ovate, lanceolate, green sepals, of which 

 the two lateral ones are placed obliquely on each side of the 

 lip; the petals are narrow, spotted with red, and placed 

 almost in front of the upper sepal ; the lip is a narrow, 

 flattish, fleshy body, having a sac or conical depression 

 {fig. 4. c.) in its middle, a large, curved, white, fleshy horn 

 {fig. 4. b.) projecting forwards from its base, and a row of 

 stiff, short, fleshy teeth standing up all round the edge. The 

 column has a long horn rising up from its back, and forming 

 a narrow bed for the anther, while two other horns or cirrhi 

 {fig. 4. «.) hanging downwards over the lip. 



In other flowers, which may be said to exhibit the ex- 

 treme of diff"erence, the sepals and petals are all equally spot- 

 less, of the same short, ovate, obtuse figure, and spread 

 equally round the column ; the lip is a fleshy hood-like, or 

 helmet-like, greenish yellow body, a little turned back at 

 the point, entirely without sac, horn, or marginal teeth, and 

 standing erect so as to overshadow the column. The column 

 itself has an exceedingly short horn at the back, and no 

 cirrhi in front. I think I may safely say, that until these 

 two sorts of flowers had been seen on the raceme, no 

 G^dipus could have guessed them to belong to either the 

 same species, or even genus. 



The way in which they pass into each other is sufficiently 

 curious, as far as regards the lip. All the fringe-like teeth 

 of this organ disappear, except a few at the base on one side 

 {fig 3. a.), the curved horn shortens ffig. 3. b.), and the 

 remainder contracts about the sac, which widens and deepens 

 till the commencement of a helrriet is shadowed out. In 

 another case all the fringes disappear except a few minute 



