THE ORCHIDS OF THE SIKKIM HIMALAYA. 499 



In Mr. Eobert Pantling, of the Sikkim Government Cinchona 

 Plantation, Sir George King found an able collaborator. Mr. 

 Pantling had for many years occupied his leisure in making draw- 

 ings of the orchids found on the Plantation, and the appearance of 

 Sir Joseph Hooker's monograph suggested the desirableness of 

 making the series complete ; and this ultimately developed into the 

 present work. Special collectors were sent into little-known dis- 

 tricts, and the Government of Bengal undertook to publish the 

 work. The drawings were put on the stone by natives of Bengal 

 trained at the Government School of Art at Calcutta, and the 

 colouring was done by the sons of Nepalese coolies employed on the 

 •Plantation — "boys who had never until Mr. Pantling took them 

 in hand been accustomed to use any implement more delicate than 

 a hoe." The results are most creditable to the lads, and to their 

 persevering and skilful tutor. Mr. Pantling also assisted in the 

 preparation of the letterpress, and has examined each specimen of 

 the twelve sets of orchids issued to various representative herbaria. 

 The ample tribute paid by Sir George King to the work of his 

 colleague is gratifying evidence of the cordiality of the relations 

 which subsisted between them. 



In his short introduction Sir George makes some important 

 suggestions as to the structure and classification of Orchids which, 

 did space allow, we should like to reprint at length for the benefit 

 of those who may find the volume difficult of access. The authors 

 are convinced that the fertilization of orchids by insect agency " is 

 by no means so universal as is sometimes supposed. We have 

 found the most unmistakable evidence of self-fertilization in genera 

 far removed from each other in every respect" — such as Eria 

 excavata, Dendrohium crepidatum, Calanthe Mannii, and most of the 

 species in Goodijerece — one of the two tribes into which NeottietE is 

 separated. The separation is based on characters afforded by the 

 pollen, which in the ListerecB is powdery (very rarely granular), 

 while in GoodijerecB it is always granular or sectile. 



Of the monograph itself it is sufficient to say that it is in every 

 respect most carefully done. Each genus is provided with a clavis 

 of species, and the descriptions are full and clear. Some novelties 

 are described, but their number is small, as might be expected after 

 the " sweeping-up " of the order by Sir Joseph Hooker and the 

 papers published by the authors. 



Sir George King is to be congratulated not only on this but on 

 the admirable series of publications which have appeared under his 

 directorship, as well as upon the fact that the reins of office so long 

 and so successfully held by him have fallen to Dr. Prain, who may 

 be trusted to carry on the work, in which he has already taken part, 

 in accordance with the example set forth by his predecessor. 



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