68 THE HOODED ONCID. 
Quindiu, at the height of from 7800 to 8700 feet; February. The Gallegos call it Hierba buenal 
and la Mesa." At a later period it was found by Schlim in New Grenada, at a place called Las 
Vetas, at the height of 10,000 feet above the sea. 
The first knowledge we had of it in a live state was from a couple of wretched flowers sent us by 
the late Mr. Barker, when it was supposed to be a Leochile, and the following note was published of 
it in the Botanical Register :— 
“Although the flowers are small they are very beautiful, having a deep crimson lip richly 
studded with clear purple spots. In the smallness of its anthers, the extension of the anther-bed 
behind into an elevated rim, and in the shortness of the column wings, it is somewhat different from 
the rest of the genus.” 
At last it has taken a permanent place among cultivated Orchids, and has produced the materials 
from which the annexed figure was made, in the collection of Thomas Brocklehurst, of Macclesfield, 
with whom it flowered in February last. From the gardener, Mr. Pass, we have the following note :— 
“ Oncidium cucullatum was bought at Mr. Linden's sale of imported plants, in June last. When 
received, it was potted in very fibrous peat and broken pots, using plenty of drainage in the pot, 
and placed in a rather cool and dry atmosphere, until it began to grow, when it was removed to 
a house used for growing Cattleyas, Odontoglots, and other South American Orchids—together with 
fruiting pine-plants. The heat would be from 70° at night to 85° in the day ; admitting air freely 
on fine days, giving the plants a light syringing, throwing water on the walks, walls, &c., and 
closing the house early on sunny afternoons, so as to get a strong moist heat for an hour or two in 
hot weather. In dull cold days in summer, not uncommon here, I give air for two or three hours 
in the day, keeping a moist genial heat of 75? to 80° by fire. When in bloom and at rest, I keep them 
in a much cooler and drier house. The above is a sketch of my way of growing a portion of the 
Orchids here, amongst which are many of the plants sold by Linden last summer, all of which grew, 
and are mostly doing well. I should say that a strong-grown plant would produce more than 
fifteen or twenty flowers on a spike, and probably larger flowers, for our plant was very small when 
bought, and the bulb it made was not more than one-third the size of the imported one." 
The species seems to vary a little in the colour of the flowers, 
coloured than those now represented, and in the form of the li 
among alpine epiphytal Orchids. 
which are sometimes more rose- 
, à very common circumstance 
